Of the Stars and You
by Marshmellowtime
Summary: One wants to be the hero, one wants to finally stop being useless, and one decides he doesn't want to be alone anymore. Even with the fate of the universe in their hands, they were still just a group of dorks trying to make it all work. "He smells like vanilla and cinnamon." "Then what do I smell like?" "You? You smell like home." Lance/Oc/Keith
1. it's not that hard

**Guess who fell into Voltron hell :)**

 **I know I really shouldn't with all these stories on my plate but I seriously just couldn't resist. I love this show and all the characters way, way too much.**

 **I do not own Voltron.**

* * *

Of the Stars and You

Chapter One:

It's not that hard

* * *

In which compliments fall like rain, Mavis bites off more than she can chew, Pidge notices all, Lance is the A1 for the long run and Keith's jacket smells nicer than they all expected.

* * *

Mavis never tried to ask for much in life.

She really didn't. When she was younger and wanted the toys other kids had, she always held her tongue unless she knew it was plausible. When she was craving something specific she never asked unless everyone was fine with it too. When life dealt her the harder cards, she tried not to complain. All she wanted was a nice bed, good food to eat, and to actually be of some use in this world.

"I need cover— _now_!"

" _We're working on it_!" Lance's face popped up on her holographic screen as Mavis veered left, narrowly missing a high energy beam meant to disintegrate her. " _We're still trying to figure out how to take this guy down—"_

" _Just pull out and get out of the way._ " Keith's voice snapped as his face appeared on the screen, eyes narrowed and decked in his red paladin gear as he barely even spared her a glance. _"Then you won't have to worry anymore."_

Uneven black—nearly an off gray or really diluted black to be honest, but she hated thinking her hair was the color of dirty paint water—hair done up in a messy pony tail whipped out behind her. Mavis bristled at the notion, urging herself onwards because like _hell_ she was going to let _Keith_ tell her to run away and hide with her tail between her legs.

Even though that's kinda what she was doing already... _and_ even if it did make more sense because they were in space lions and she was on the ground.

Mavis' feet pounded against the floor, arms pumping wildly at her sides as she attempted to out run the alien beast thundering after her. She felt acid spit flick at her heels and she paled, increasing her sprint across the rocky terrain as she looked for some form of cover. Mocha brown eyes darted left and right, searching with a groan for _something_ to get this monster off her tail.

The mission had meant to be simple, head into the planet and extract the Galran crystal causing trouble with the wildlife there and leave. But _nooo,_ Galran troops had to suddenly appear out of nowhere and cause trouble for everyone, leaving the paladins to hit the skies and fend them off while Mavis had quickly volunteered to shatter the crystal. She couldn't pilot a lion like the rest of them and she currently didn't have a fighter ship on her, so doing whatever she could was the next best thing.

" _Hold on Mavis we're coming for you."_ Shiro's voice was like music to her ears and Mavis let out a screech as she lunged to the side, a massive claw swinging out to grab her.

"That's fine! Take your time," Mavis laughed breathlessly. "I'm doing _fine_ don't worry— _quiznak_!"

 _"Uh, no offense Mavis, but you against that thing is not going to end well."_ Hunk's voice lulled over the communicator.

" _Acting like a child isn't going to do anything,"_ Keith snapped back. _"We didn't need you on this mission to begin with—"_

"Lance, cover me!"

" _You got it, babe,"_ Immediately fire was drawn away from her as the blue lion flashed through and darted to the side. She inwardly thanked Lance for not putting up a fight about her pulling out as well and mentally promised to make it up to him.

The hulking beast behind her was dripping acid from massive jaws. Rock hard plates lined its back and it ran on six legs as it thundered after her, letting out a massive roar as it shook its hammer shaped head.

" _You don't sound fine,"_ Keith's voice grumbled in her ear and she rolled her eyes. _"You should have just stayed back in the castle and—"_

"And what?" Mavis snapped. "Sit around and feed the mice? I broke the crystal didn't I? How was I supposed to know the crystal was sitting on top of a living creature?"

" _Regardless—"_

" _Oh stop fighting,"_ Pidge groaned over the communicator. _"Mav, I need you to stop moving for a second so I can hone in on your location, the gas clouds are making it hard to track you."_

"Yeah, well," Mavis stumbled, lunging upwards and grabbing onto a rocky ledge as she scrambled upwards and began to climb away from the beast who let out a furious roar below her. "That's a little difficult right now."

" _Woohoo! I got their lasers!"_ Hunk cheered. _"Now let's take out that ship!"_

Mavis smiled, glad that things were going well on their end. The rock beneath her fingers trembled and she jerked, head glancing downwards where the alien beast below had begun clambering up after her. Her face paled and she scrambled upwards, fingers digging into the rough rock as she hauled herself over the edge. "There, that ought to do it—"

The earth shook and Mavis jolted, scooting back as her mouth fell open in horror. The alien beast landed roughly on its side before her and turned, acid burning holes through the rock as several of its eyes locked onto her figure. "—or not. Guys, can I get a little help— _now please_!"

The alien let out a spit filled roar and Mavis jerked to the side as acid burned a hole through her uniform. Her eyes went wide and she scrambled backwards, searching desperately for cover as the alien began to stalk forward.

Wind buffeted her hair, sending black and gray toned locks all about her. Mavis' eyes went wide and a heavy weight rocked the earth beneath her as the rumbling purr of engines ceased and mechanical gears clicked into place. The alien creature paused, mouth half open and acid dripping as all of its eyes slowly traveled upwards.

The hulking, shining, and grand figure of Voltron, defender of the universe, stood looming behind her. The alien creature blinked once with all of its eyes and Voltron merely set down the blade in its hand, letting it split rock and break earth a few feet from her.

There was a momentary pause and the alien quickly scrambling backwards, letting out something like a high pitched whine as it ran away. Mavis craned her head backwards to gaze up at the hulking figure before her, a wide smile splitting her lips.

"Voltron! The universe's savior and hero, liberator of worlds."

" _You know it, sweetheart."_ Lance's smooth and velvety tone rang out.

" _Flattering,"_ Shiro's voice echoed out around her and she winced. _"Get inside Blue. We have some things to discuss as a team when we get back."_

" _Ooh, someone's in trouble."_ Pidge sang and Mavis felt her shoulders slump as she stood, at least glad she was riding with Lance instead of Keith this time.

"Yessir…"

* * *

"Good job everybody!" Coran spread his arms extravagantly wide and beamed, mustache lifting. "Thanks to the destruction of the crystal, all wildlife is beginning to turn back to normal!"

"We'll monitor the process to make sure it's all fine now," Allura added, turning from the castle console and smiling in the same regal fashion she always possessed. "You all did wonderful."

"Thank you," Shiro smiled, though slightly strained as he turned his gaze half backwards to the mess behind him. "We _all_ did our best."

"Wasn't I amazing?" Lance beamed, chest puffing outwards as he slicked his hair back.

"Absolutely," Mavis praised and Lance eagerly turned to her like a dog wagging its tail. "Especially when you _covered_ me from so high up, I appreciate it."

"Anything for you, babe," Lance slung an arm around Mavis' shoulder and his smile became impossibly wide. "You can ride with me anytime—"

"Is it that hard for you to follow orders?" Keith suddenly snapped, standing up straight from where he'd been leaning against the wall like usual. "You always do this, there wasn't any need for you to be down there and causing more trouble."

"But I _didn't_ cause any trouble," Mavis snapped back, whirling around with Lance's arm still slung over her shoulders and the taller paladin blinked with wide eyes, looking back and forth between the two. "I needed some help, sure, and _some_ delivered, but otherwise everything went fine."

"There just wasn't any need for you to be down there." Keith stressed once more, taking a step forward with narrowed eyes and slips pulled back as if he were snarling. "All you do is get in the way and make things more complicated."

"You wanna fight, mullet—"

"I think you're just upset I swooped in first," Lance proclaimed proudly, puffing out his chest. "And you couldn't help Mav when she called for assistance.

"I am not—"

"We all need to understand that everyone is a valuable part of this team," Shiro's voice fell over them and Lance's arm clamped down around her as he turned his head the other way and began to whistle, Mavis' rants muffled against his arm. "And while we may take some unnecessary risks sometimes," his eyes landed on a struggling Mavis and she ceased, "and we may not agree with others," his eyes found Keith who was staring hard at the floor. "What matters is that we're all in this together."

"Exactly!" Coran cheered, pointing a finger toward the air. "Even if Mavis could have been eaten alive and eroded by that acid creature, what matters is that we're all fine now and we must move onwards!"

Allura hit a hand to her forehead and Shiro sighed while Keith turned his head to the side. Mavis sighed, rolling her eyes as she wiggled her arms over and let them hang over Lance's, a bored look on her face before her eyes swiveled over to Hunk. "Want to find something to eat?"

"Sounds good to me!"

"I'm pretty hungry myself."

"Maybe we can actually make some cookies this time!"

Just as the four of them were about to exit the floor, Mavis cast her eyes backwards to where Keith's eyes had been following, meeting his gaze before she smirked and stuck her tongue out. Keith's eyes widened and he stepped forward but the door slid shut behind them and Mavis grinned.

A job well done.

* * *

It'd only been several days since the ragtag group of heroes had been assembled together by fate or some other worldly power. Mavis supposed she was lucky in a sense to be able to be a part of this grand mission, assigned to help save the galaxy from Zarkon and his evil empire. Though she wasn't grand to the scale of the paladins alongside her, she had known Lance for as long as they'd been in the Garrison together and had somehow been roped into this whole ordeal after they went to go save Shiro. She had originally been training to be a doctor, one skilled with injuries in space and other off planet needs, and Coran and Allura had quickly proclaimed such knowledge would still be useful despite having those healing pods of theirs.

She did pride herself on her aerial combat skills, and while she knew her mission wasn't as large, she still wanted to do whatever she could to help.

Even if some others happened to disagree.

Lance was by far her closest friend, despite all his ups and downs and flirtatious advances, she trusted him with her life. Pidge and Hunk were lovable buddies and she couldn't resist letting them slip into her life. Shiro was something near unattainable and a goal to work towards, he'd been a legend to her after all. Keith, on the other hand, was a bit of a bigger issue. She'd only faintly remembered him from the Garrison and Lance constantly complaining about this rival she rarely ever saw. It bugged her more that when they all met Keith seemed to remember more about her than she did of him, but the loner's personality often came into conflict with her own for some god damn reason.

 _Like now._

The spacious common area within the castle was filled with a somewhat terse silence. Mavis was currently curled up at one end of the circular couch, eyes forcefully shut and trying to remain hidden beneath her arm as she peered beneath her lashes. Keith was situated at the other end of the couch, head tilted back and she assumed his eyes were closed as his chest rose and fell peacefully.

 _Couldn't he just sleep in his room?_ Mavis inwardly groaned. Sure it had been her fault for falling asleep here too, but it's not like she'd meant too. She'd been waiting for Lance and she'd just nodded off.

 _I really don't want to be caught with 'my guard down'._ Mavis' brows furrowed and she sighed. _How should I go about this?_

She supposed she could try and slink from the couch like some kind of snake. But from this angle she couldn't tell if Keith was asleep too or not. She'd already mulled it over with Pidge and knew she should sort of apologize if maybe she made Keith worry—"Maybe he's just worried about you. I was too." "Maybe he just thinks I'm dead weight and likes pointing it out."—but she hadn't owned up enough yet to want to do it _right now._ Mavis frowned and she resisted the urge to sigh. _Maybe if I wait long enough he'll go—_

Mavis froze, trying to calm her breathing to pretend she was still sleeping when she heard Keith rustle at the other end. There was a soft sigh and she heard him stand, seemingly adjusting himself as his footsteps echoed on the sleek floors. She stilled herself, trying to seem as relaxed as possible when she paused, brows furrowing slightly as she listened for the footsteps, wondering why they were getting so much louder when she froze.

 _Why did he stop here?_ From what she could tell Keith was standing directly next to her. For whatever reason she had no idea because she couldn't risk peeking. Her brows furrowed and she suddenly wondered if he was going to play a prank on her when a soft sigh left his lips and there was a rustle of fabric.

Something soft and slightly heavy fell over her shoulders and Mavis remained still as Keith stood there for a moment before walking off with a yawn.

What felt like hours but were mere minutes passed as Mavis waited before opening her eyes as she scrambled to sit up. The familiar fabric of Keith's jacket fell onto her lap and she blinked, staring at it as if it were going to suddenly start speaking to her.

 _He put... his jacket on me?_

She tried to process the number of answers that would make sense for such an action. Pidge's voice and Shiro's reprimanding tone finally won over and she sighed, realizing and knowing full well that no, Keith didn't hate her or anything like that—she doubted he even hated Lance. If anything, she probably did just worry him and he'd gotten upset just as she would've done if he'd been the one down there getting chased and not listening to orders.

 _That's what you get for being a glory hound._ Mavis sighed, stretching her arms over her head and curiously bringing the jacket closer toward her as she let it wrap around her shoulders.

 _It's warm._ Despite falling mid torso on him it practically covered her entire top as she idly brought the collar closer toward her and blinked. _It smells nice too._

"Is that Keith's jacket?"

Mavis screeched, nearly leaping into the air as Pidge blinked, stepping back to avoid any collisions as Mavis whipped her head around, making sure no one else was in sight. "Pidge! Where'd you come from?"

"The door, like any normal person." Pidge gestured to the open door behind her leading to the lounge. "What are _you_ doing?"

"I—well, you see—" Mavis faltered, realizing there was no proper way to explain this and she really wasn't doing herself any favors with the stutter.

Pidge was still staring at her, dubious and waiting for a proper explanation for why she had Keith's jacket draped over her shoulders. Mavis finally slumped, letting out a heavy sigh. "It's not what it looks like."

"Well, it looks like to me that you were having some fun sniffing his jacket." Pidge said flatly, slightly bemused as a knowing twinkle glistened in her eye and Mavis groaned.

"I was just chilling here waiting for Lance—" Pidge snorted. "When I nodded off and when I woke up, Keith had fallen asleep too for whatever reason—"

"Wait, you saw _Keith_ sleeping? Isn't that a super rare occurrence—"

"You're one to talk you insomniac. _Anyway,_ I didn't want him to know I woke up and didn't want to wake him up so I stayed here and before I knew it he'd decided to leave his jacket on top of me."

"So in short, he did something nice and you decided to do something creepy."

"I just wanted to see what it would feel like," Mavis muttered, shrugging the jacket off. "Besides, it always looks kind of comfy anyway so I was just curious."

Pidge hummed, eyeing her for a moment before she pulled up a hologram on her computer. "Well, anyway, I pulled some of the plants we found on the last planet and I'd think you'd want to take a look at the make-up. I think if we can synthesize something from them we may have our own space equivalent of Advil."

Mavis' eyes brightened, eager to tackle anything plant or medical related as she leapt from the couch, following after Pidge like a lost puppy with Keith's jacket in her arms, gently folded and held with care.

 _I should thank him later._

* * *

"You know, there's something oddly familiar about this plant but I'm not sure what."

Mavis was eyeing the thick bundle of deep green leaves and painfully bright pink buds sprouting from the top where thin stems protruded in a bundle. She hummed, wondering where in the plant encyclopedia Allura had given her on intergalactic vegetation—along with several hundred books on medical procedures and bodily functions of other alien races—"If you're going to be a doctor might as well be a doctor to all!"—these plants had shown up.

Pidge was tapping madly away at her computer, several vials laid out on the table beside them as water bubbled in one container and the two of them were located in the Green Lion's hangar. Mavis tapped her chin, feeling the information regarding this strain was particularly important but _god damn it_ she just honestly could not remember.

 _Must not be that important then._ "Alright, you ready?"

"Yes ma'am," Mavis approached the thick and bushy leaves with a pair of scissors. "If our calculations are right, I think the main nutrients and components will be in the leaves while the chemical compound should be in the stem."

"And I've already melted down the advil, so we can compare the make up!"

Mavis grinned, honestly loving spending time with Pidge because the younger girl was never a bore to be around. Sure some of her technical know-how might fly over her head from time to time, but regardless she found a nice solace with her she didn't get as often with the others.

"Alright, proceeding to clip," Mavis reached outward, adjusting the surgical mask over her face as she opened the scissors. "Sorry boy, I'm just going to take some of those pretty leaves."

"You know it can't understand you, right?"

"Oh, shut up."

The scissors snipped off several of the thick leaves and Mavis grimaced at the thick white goo that began to slip out from the stems. She turned to pitch with a wide grin, "Okay, now let's just—"

"U-Uh, Mav?"

"Yeah, what's wrong? Should I get some more—"

"Is that supposed to happen?"

Mavis blinked, slowly turning around and her mouth fell open as she gaped. The stems she'd snipped off that had been oozing a white goo only seconds before had begun to sprout new stems, ones that were moving around wildly as more and more began to sprout. Mavis backed away unsteadily, feeling like this was bound to be a bad sign as her eyes darted around at the rapidly growing vines. "Okay, stay calm Pidge. I think we just need to find something to calm the plant down and—"

"Mav, look out!"

Mavis jumped, nearly screaming as several vines exploded from her hand and she dropped the bundle of leaves she had cut. She and Pidge quickly scrambled to the other side of the hangar, the vines growing rapidly as they began to bunch up, twirling and curling over each other. "Why is this happening? My sensors are going crazy and right now they're multiply at an insane rate!"

"I have no idea!" Mavis cried, hands in her hair as she kicked a handful of vines away from them and the two scrambled on top of Pidge's work station. "The plant encyclopedia Allura gave me is in my room, I can't tell what species this is and how to make it stop!"

"Should we burn it or something?" Pidge exclaimed and the two girls screeched as the vines whipped out menacingly, seeming to grow more angered by the minute.

"Right now we need to get help!" Mavis leapt from the table and rushed to the hangar doors. "Your bayard isn't going to do much against all of these— _oof_."

Her chin smacked into the floor and Mavis blinked, turning around and paling at the sight of several vines entwined around her ankles. "Oh, no."

"Guys! We need help!" Pidge shouted into her communicator, pulling up a screen as she fended off several vines with her bayard. "The plant Mav and I were studying is going haywire and we need back up!"

" _Pidge? What on earth are you talking about?"_ Allura responded back, disbelief in her voice. _"What do you mean?"_

"Just come help!" Mavis screeched, clawing at the smooth floor for a grip as the vines began to tug her backwards. "Now, please!"

" _W-We're on our way!"_ Allura called back quickly.

Mavis nearly let out a sigh of relief, but quickly refocused on the task at hand as Pidge cried out, running to the other side of the hangar as the vines shot after her. She lunged downwards, wrestling with the thick vines clamped to her legs and she squeaked when another wrapped around her waist, raising her into the air as several more rushed to her.

"Please tell me this thing isn't carnivorous!" Pidge exclaimed from the other side of the hangar, waving her bayard menacingly as vines followed and Mavis swallowed.

"I-I'm sure it's not, I think!"

"You're sure or no?" Pidge shouted.

"I'm sure!" Mavis rushed through all the plants mean to be dangerous in the food chain and she blinked, turning back to the massive vines and leaves. "Wait a minute..."

"Pidge, Mav, we're here— _oh my gosh, what is that_!" Lance exclaimed, skidding to a halt as Shiro and Keith slammed into him, nearly knocking the three to the ground.

"Guys, thank goodness!" Pidge started as she tried to work her way toward them. "Where's everyone else?"

"Hunk is helping Coran and Allura try and keep this thing from slipping into the castle even more!" Lance explained. "Whatever this thing is, it's spreading spores like mad through the airstream and sprouting all over the place."

"What did you two do?" Keith snapped and Mavis groaned, wrestling mid-air with the vines as she bit down on one that came dangerously close to her neck.

"Nothing!" Mavis exclaimed. "Pidge and I were just experimenting and out of nowhere this plant decided to go monster on us!"

"That's not nothing," Keith pointed out and Mavis spat out a chunk of plant in his direction.

"There has to be some way to stop it," Shiro started, his hand glowing and forming into a pointed blade as he stepped forward. "We'll just hack our way through—"

"That doesn't work! They're just going to multiply even more," Pidge cried from the other side of the hangar. "We have to find out what's causing the rapid growth and stop it."

"You're the plant expert here," Keith quickly rounded on Mavis, who was currently being held upside down as the other girl scowled, narrowing her eyes at him while she gripped one vine in her hand.

"Don't you think if I knew what the answer was, we wouldn't be in this mess?"

The plants pulsed, beginning to enlarge their growth and Mavis paled as Lance and Keith quickly formed their weapons, shoving the vines aside but not destroying them.

"Come on, babe, I'm sure you can think of something," Lance offered, throwing her a thumbs up in motivation as he ducked and Keith whacked aside another bundle of plants.

"Mavis, are you alright?" Shiro called out, brows furrowed as he shoved aside a bundle stretching toward them.

"For now," Mavis grunted, wrestling with a particularly touchy vine as it curled around her wrist and jerked her backwards.

"What are we supposed to do?" Keith growled, looking frustrated and closer to just hacking at the plants with his sword. "We can't just let her hang there!"

"There has to be something we can do to get them to stop…" Pidge whacked a bulb aside and threw her hands in the air. "Stop this!"

"Allura, how are things on your end?" Shiro inquired, and the communicator clicked into action.

" _We've almost got this area under control, have you contained the plant, yet?_ "

Mavis racked her brain for answers, trying to keep the plant from breaking any bones as its grip on her tightened. To the side Lance and Keith had started to bicker over what to do and Shiro was shoving the plants back with brute strength.

"I feel like they're just getting bigger!" Lance shouted, punching a bulb that had wandered closer and Keith snarled.

"Really? I hadn't noticed!"

Mavis' brows furrowed, the vines pulsing at their words and growing bigger. Pidge seemed to notice the growth as well and Mavis snapped her head around to where the center of the bulb was growing a dark gray. _Is it responding to...us?_

"Hey, I had that one!"

"Clearly with the vine wrapped around your leg."

"Focus, guys. We need to figure out how to stop this."

The missing information finally clicked and Mavis nearly slapped herself in the face. Wriggling around in the vines she peered down at the glowing center that had begun to turn a dark black. _That's it!_

"Pidge!" Pidge snapped her head around and Mavis quickly shouted. "I think the way you handle technology is absolutely amazing! I wish I was as smart as you and that I could do as much, you're honestly amazing!"

The vines around her slackened slightly, hesitating as Pidge merely threw her a look of disbelief, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Have you lost it?"

"It's the plant!" Mavis explained, wriggling around yelping as she almost slipped, hanging upside down as she turned to the others. "It feeds off the negativity of others, Nocte-nox, that's the plant! Before Pidge and I cut it we were making fun of each other—it feeds off of negativity and anger and we have to say nice things to bring it back down!"

"Nice things?" Shiro echoed, looking almost done and lost with this entire situation—he was trained to be a soldier after all, not a botanist.

" _That's it! Well done, Mavis,"_ Coran's voice cheered over the communicator. _"We'll work from our end, you lot get it to stop at the source!"_

Mavis racked her brain for a brief second before shouting, "Shiro, I wish I could fight as well as you. You're super respectable and kind and I know I can come to you for anything!"

Shiro looked slightly taken aback, a light blush on his cheeks. The vines by Pidge began to wither, shrinking under the weight of her words and everyone blinked in disbelief, turning to each other.

"What are you waiting for?" Pidge exclaimed, rushing over to the console so she could generate a barrier once the plant was a smaller size. "Start complimenting each other!"

"Lance you're one of my closest friends and I love you a lot!" Mavis easily exclaimed, Lance looking completely dopey at her words and she continued. "You always smell nice and your skin is flawless!"

"I'm proud of all of you," Shiro quickly added, watching in amazement as the plants began to wither at his words. "We've all come so far these past few days, you've all been working your hardest and have improved immensely."

"Pidge I always thought you were pretty rad!" Lance called out, ducking from a wave of vines that halted at his words, waving about uncertainly. "Mav, your lap is really comfortable!"

"How is that—"

"Keith, just say something!" Pidge snapped and Keith balked, sword in his hand and ready to hack at the plants instead. "We need to overwhelm this thing!"

"I..." Keith swallowed, letting out a growl of frustration as he racked his brain. "S-Shiro, you're a natural leader."

"Keep it coming!" Pidge said, walking forward as she began to plug several wires in.

"Lance, you're..." Keith shook his head, finally spitting out. "You're a decent shot."

"Wow, I really feel the love over here, buddy."

"Keith your jacket smells really nice and it's super warm!" Mavis rushed out, everyone throwing her looks of surprise while Keith balked, mouth agape as she swept on. "I know you were just worried about me earlier and it actually means a lot and makes me feel super loved!"

"Pidge, your family would be proud of you." Shiro added.

"Lance, your jokes aren't actually _that_ bad." Pidge quipped.

"You all have beautiful eyes!" Mavis wailed as a several vines that had her suspended in the air slumped.

"Keith, your mullet suites you!" Pidge exclaimed, typing furiously at her computer.

"Mavis, thanks for doing the laundry!"

"I don't actually hate you!"

"Mav, you remind me of home!" Lance nearly screeched as one bulb opened its leaves, revealing a dripping white goo before slumping down at his words. To his right Keith jolted, throwing him a disturbed look, brows furrowed.

"Who says something like _that_?"

"I do, because it's true!"

"I'm glad we're coast kids!" Mavis yelped as the vine holding her up shriveled and her arms flailed as she plummeted towards the floor. "I'm glad—I'm glad I can be here with all you guys!"

The plant withered, shrinking back and practically hissing as though it'd been kicked. Mavis blinked as firm arms kept her inches off the ground and she and Shiro both slumped in relief, the two of them collapsing to the floor while Lance and Keith tripped, both having rushed out to catch her but neither making it as quickly as Shiro.

"I got it!" Pidge cheered, throwing her arms in the air as the plant shriveled back and quietly swayed behind a particle barrier.

Cheers were heard over the intercom and everyone slumped down in relief, falling to the floor as they all breathed, merely catching their breaths.

"Tomorrow we're going over some more mental training," Shiro declared, groans meeting his command.

* * *

"Hey."

Mavis paused mid-step, two large encyclopedias balanced in her arms—after the whole escapade she figured it was time to get more of these books translated so she could study up and be of some use to the team—and turned. Keith stood before her, awkward and several feet away like he always seemed to be when approaching people. _Like a wild animal._ Mavis inwardly mused, turning on her heel and shifting the books in her arms.

"What's up?"

Keith stared at the floor, rubbing the back of his neck as Mavis waited patiently, idly hoping this wasn't about to get awkward because she didn't really float well in awkward situations herself and this was much more up Lance's alley because he was Lance and he could make anyone laugh, even emo Keith and now she was getting nervous and rambling—

"Did you really mean what you said?" Keith managed finally, his eyes flickering upwards and meeting her mocha brown gaze beneath his thick lashes. "All that stuff back there..."

"Well, of course." Mavis said simply. "The plant can tell if you're lying, you know. Turns out it can be made into either a powerful truth serum or a really good painkiller depending what leaves we harvest—"

"I just..." Keith stopped, rubbing his neck a little harsher before he sighed, meeting her gaze evenly and almost softly. "Thanks."

Mavis stared at him for several minutes, racking her entire brain to wonder which one of the comments she'd spouted while hanging upside down and fighting off a plant would warrant her gratitude for Keith. Drawing a blank and figuring he'd never been complimented on his clothes before she shrugged, "'s no problem."

Figuring there was nothing more to discuss Mavis turned on her heel again and proceeded down the hall. She really did like Keith for the most part, and she was jealous of how capable and skilled he was. She was also thankful that because of him, Lance had something to distract him and push him to want to achieve even greater heights.

But she liked messing with people, so Keith didn't need to know that.

"For the record though, Lance's jacket smells nicer."

" _What_?"

* * *

 **And there we have it for our first chapter! I definitely hope you guys enjoyed and that it was even just a bit of a pleasurable read. :)**

 **The story will take place roughly in the middle of season one and follow on throughout the storyline with added missions and chapters and what not to squeeze in as well. I'll post a chapter at some point describing the whole first episode process and meetings between each of the characters a little ways in like a good throw back. Right now pairings are mostly undecided because I'm debating between going in for a love triangle which I always love writing, or making this more of a Paladins/Oc with Pidge, Hunk, and Allura included of course, and maybeee Lotor if I feel like giving him enough love but writing him will be fun, without a doubt.**

 **Let me know what you guys would like more and I'll be happy to oblige! I'm trash and I gave in. I love Voltron too much guys, these characters will be the end of me.**

 **Thank you all so much for taking the time out to read and check out this first chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it and please feel free to let me know what you think!**

 **Marshmellow-**

 **-OUT!**


	2. you make it all so easy

**Hopefully to clear it up, this chapter will follow along more with episode three of season one since I'm a dork and forgot they're still grounded until they leave for Balmera, and in the last chapter we'll just say the team needed to go off planet but the castle stayed and they just used the lions for the sake of this loser author :,)**

 **I do not own Voltron.**

* * *

Of the Stars and You

Chapter Two:

You make it all so easy

* * *

In which Mavis battles it out with alien healing pods, Keith struggles to find a way to be included, Hunk chooses to be blind but isn't deaf, the team makes some new friends, and Lance and Blue have a chat.

* * *

"So this is what I'm up against."

For what it was worth, Mavis had to give herself _some_ credit. Surprisingly enough, there was nothing in the Altean archives on human medical care, most likely due to the fact that they'd never _needed_ to make contact with humans, therefore never really coming to learn about them. For that Mavis had to thank all her years of hellish medical classes and late night cramming so that she would be able to tend to her basically all human team when they weren't anywhere near the castle. Injuries received within, on the other hand, seemed more reasonable to shove them into the advanced healing pods Coran explained to her.

"But there's no point in me doing anything if we have these," Mavis had argued, silently wishing for Coran to argue against her logic as she nervously gripped her arm.

"Well, it's not as though we can teleport these into the middle of a battle though," Coran had corrected, and Mavis couldn't help but feel mixed on the idea. Glad because it meant there _was_ maybe something she could do after all, conflicted because she hoped every mission and battle to come her comrades would never _need_ medical attention in the middle of a battle. "Besides, I've heard you have a knack with plants! There's always so much to learn about the infinite species in this universe, don't cut yourself short!"

 _He wasn't wrong about that._ Mavis mused, flipping to another page and watching as the screen before her quickly translated the Altean symbols.

Mavis was currently tucked away beside one of the magical healing pods—she'd thought it was fitting to be learning more about medical care beside one of them because those dumb pods couldn't do anything but watch as she attempted to surpass them—using a pillow she'd tugged along from her room as a back rest. Scribbled notes and rough sketches of different species throughout the books were scattered beside her. She never knew if she'd ever even come into contact with them, but it didn't hurt to know a little. _A doctor to all, like Allura said._

The refugees they'd rescued off a Galran ship were currently locked inside, recovering from the fatigue and malnourishment of before. Pidge had been anxiously waiting beside her for a while before finally being called away from training.

After her talk with Coran and some eager and helpful advice from Allura—"I simply know you can do it—having a healer on our team is always a tremendous help. My father made sure to never leave any of his squadrons without one."—Mavis decided maybe there was a way for her to earn her keep here after all. It wasn't as though she'd asked them to ship her all the way back to earth, but maybe if things got too...crowded, they'd just leave her on some nice, habitable planet where she could make ends meet.

She wasn't ruling out help in combat either. Everyone had been required to undergo some basic self-defense training back at the Garrison, and she still took some pride in her abilities as a fighter pilot. _It's just that against hulking giant robots, my lasers wouldn't do much compared to Voltron's powers._

Mavis paused briefly, a strange symbol appearing amidst the text—untranslatable. Her brows furrowed and she realized it showed up throughout the book several more times in the corner and she frowned. It was a strange, U-like shape with the ends of the U curving upwards and almost touching. In the middle of the U was a thin, diamond looking structure with a line crossed through it and little half-moons on either side of that. _I wonder what that means._ She idly sketched the pattern and made a mental note to ask Pidge if she could run it through some scanners.

"You know, if you were a book, I'd stare at you all day."

"It's much more fun to open me up and take a look inside," Mavis quipped easily.

She kept her gaze focused on the text and the holographic screen beside it as the familiar tang of cinnamon and vanilla washed over her. Lance crouched down beside her, resting his arms on his knees as he peered over her shoulder and tried to follow the words for a few minutes. "How long have you been at it?"

"Not long enough," Mavis grimaced and Lance took a seat beside her, rearranging his legs and giving her foot a nudge. Mavis lifted her legs and draped them over his without taking her eyes off the text and she shifted from the pillow to using his shoulder as a prop for her head. "There's still hundreds of books in the library here for me to go through—not to mention all the data stored in the castle about other species and what might be needed."

"It's not like you need to know how to operate on every alien species in the galaxy," Lance reminded her, making sense despite his usual goofball attitude. "I mean, your head would explode by then."

"Just because your head can't fit as much doesn't mean everyone's the same, Lance."

"Hey! Stop sounding like Keith, it's disgusting," Lance shuddered, pouting at her words as he leaned his head on top of hers. "I'm just saying."

"Aren't you supposed to be training, right now?" Mavis mused, finally looking away from the text to try and find his eyes, only to realize it was impossible with the position their heads were in.

"Keith couldn't handle my awesome soccer skills so I dipped," he replied simply, shrugging his shoulders and Mavis winced at how his paladin armor collided with her heads. "Sorry."

She waved him off, eyes trailing upwards to the former prisoners as symbols and a continuous heart line showed across the screen of the healing pod. _These things really are amazing._ "I doubt they'll need anything from me once they're out of there."

"Who knows?" Lance nudged her shoulder. "Maybe they'll need some space advil or just some good ol' TLC."

He paused at that, rethinking his words as a sour frown touched his lips. "Never mind, forget the last part. They don't need any of that."

"But I have plenty of TLC to go around," Mavis teased, and Lance pouted.

"But _I_ need all that TLC, there isn't enough Mav to go around when I'm here."

Mavis laughed, a loud, ringing laugh that almost sounded breezy. Lance's eyes sparkled at the sound and he opened his mouth to continue when a loud rumbling filled the room. Mavis and Lance blinked once, eyes turning toward his stomach before Mavis grinned knowingly and Lance smiled sheepishly. "Want to grab something to eat? Earlier Coran was trying to feed us something weird and Hunk said he'd try to make something better."

"If it's Hunk, I'm sure he will." Mavis mused, but her eyes strayed toward the healing pods. "But apparently these guys should be waking up soon and I'd like to see if there's anything I can do."

Lance nodded, standing up and stretching as he pulled his arms over his head with a satisfied groan. "I'll get him to save you a plate."

She offered him a smile in return as he turned and began to make his way out the door. Mavis waited a moment before a sigh left her lips and she propped her arm on her knee, peering upwards at the silent faces of the aliens they'd rescued.

 _If I even can do anything._

* * *

In the end, it had turned out to be rather useless after all.

Pidge had joined her at some point, anxious to get any news on her missing family. Mavis knew her worries ran deep—having discovered Pidge was a girl after several awkward meetings in the female showers at the Garrison—and did what she could to offer some comfort to her anxious nerves. They'd idly chatted and reminisced for a bit on earth and home, something Mavis was realizing in the back of her mind was becoming increasingly far away as she tried to wrap her head around this...war, they suddenly seemed to be fighting.

"I kind of envy you," Mavis had murmured, head propped on her hand which rested on her knee as she peered outwards into nothing. "I was never really that close to my family, to be honest. Spent most of my time living with my grandfather."

"Did you have any siblings?" Pidge had inquired after a while, realizing suddenly that while she knew little things about Mavis, she didn't really _know_ Mavis.

Mavis had been silent for a moment before looking thoughtful. "I think so."

After Shiro had arrived though—surprised to see Mavis there and she awkwardly supplied she'd been hoping she could be of some use when they woke up—the prisoners awoke. She quickly helped with passing out blankets and warming them up, questioning all of them on how they felt and if they needed any help, but aside from being a little chilly and tired, they were healthy as horses.

 _Those healing pods are amazing after all._ Mavis thought glumly, making her way through the castle and toward what she hoped was the main dining area. The castle was huge after all and she was still learning her way around. Aside from managing to make a short tea mixture with what the castle had and Coran instructed was nutritional for them, there was no need for her to remain while Pidge and Shiro inquired further about the whereabouts of Pidge's family.

 _I should really figure out if there's a need for me to be here after all._ Mavis realized idly as she rubbed her arm in discomfort, the stacks of books tucked safely into her room. _Once they get this castle going, I need to figure out if it'll be better for me to stay or go._

She tugged at the loose gray sweater she'd been wearing. Clothing was limited in the castle since they really only had what'd been on them when they'd all gone off to save Shiro and ended up at Keith's little shack in the middle of the desert. Mavis idly mused she was lucky for once for having had a small duffle bag on her with several supplies, clothes, and items from her room back at the Garrison—the night Lance had been attempting to rope her into an adventure with Hunk was actually the night she had been planning to sneak off and steal one of the ground bikes for a trip back to her hometown for a few days.

 _I'll just eat my sorrows away and head back and see if there's something I can do._ Mavis settled finally. If anything she could head back to her room and hit the books and try and study up as much as should could and start memorizing plant species that could be useful for later medical uses.

The door to the dining hall—thank _god_ she'd found it fine— _swooshed_ open and Mavis stepped in, only to catch a mouthful of sleek armor as she smacked her head against a hard chest. She quickly stumbled backwards, groaning as she rubbed her head and peered upwards. "Where's the fire at?"

"Where have _you_ been?" Keith quipped—of course it'd been mullet-head—and Mavis gave him a dry look.

"Studying," Mavis supplied. "Lance said Hunk was cooking and—"

"Mavis!" Firm arms lifted her upwards and Mavis lurched, her feet no longer touching the ground as Hunk twirled her around, eyes sparkling with excitement. "You won't believe what just happened!"

"You found some alien equivalent to waffles?"

"No—oh my _gosh_ that would be amazing—but get this," Hunk kept her in the air as he rushed on, Keith standing awkwardly to the side as he watched this whole exchange. "So the local Arusians on this planet, who are actually super cute little...creatures, sent their bravest warrior to investigate and they thought Allura is some kind of lion goddess—"

"Well, that's actually pretty accurate if you think about it—"

"Why, thank you." Allura piped up from the other end of the room and Mavis threw her a quick smile before diverting her attention back to Hunk.

"—and now they're taking us back to their cute little village filled with more of them!"

"Village locals?" Mavis surmised, looking thoughtful as Hunk beamed up at her, waiting patiently for her response before her eyes lit up. "That must mean they have some kind of village medic or something! We can exchange notes and I can see if there's anything useful on this planet to bring onto the castle!"

"And they must have food!" Hunk added.

The two cheered, Mavis throwing her arms in the air and Hunk lifting her higher. Keith stood before them, eyes darting between the two of them with uncertainty as his lips twitched and he quickly added, "But we should keep our guard up, just in case."

Mavis and Hunk blinked at him, more surprised at how unconvinced he himself sounded. Slender arms reached upwards and Lance took Mavis from Hunk's grip, depositing her on the ground beside him as he arched a brow at the red paladin. "Keith, they're literally up to the size of our _knees_. I don't think we need to worry about them stabbing us in the back."

"They can't even reach that high," Hunk added.

Keith's brows furrowed and he opened his mouth to respond when Allura cut in, eyes glistening brightly with the prospect of meeting new people. "Regardless, we must give our kind hosts the proper Altean welcome. Mavis, suit up, we'll be taking the lions to the village to great their leader and to let them know that they have nothing to fear!"

"Aye aye, captain."

Allura paused, gazing at her quizzically as Mavis smiled, rubbing the back of her head.

"It means yes."

"Oh, wonderful!"

"You can ride with me," Lance practically purred at her ear, slinging an arm around her shoulders as he stirred the two of them aside. "And if you need help getting that suit on—"

"There's more than one lion, you know."

The two of them blinked, turning their heads in sync to stare at a furrowed brow Keith—though Keith always looked moody—and Mavis simply looked confused. "Well, there's still Coran and Allura too, right?"

Hunk's eyes darted between the two, from Keith's face which suddenly looked as though he were balking, to Mavis' furrowed brows, and Lance's quizzical stare. He quickly twiddled his fingers and whistled, turning on his heel. "Well, the yellow lion is big. Big means room. I'm going to go now."

* * *

The sound of foreign drums and instruments filled the air as a soft breeze fluttered through the village. Mavis took in the sights of the Arusian village with awe, marveling at the cutely curved little domes that served as their homes, to the flowers and benches that lined their walkways.

 _This is literally a village out of Harvest Sun._ Mavis nearly gushed as two Arusians practically waddled past, staring up at her with wide and endearing eyes before the hobbled off.

Several of the Arusians began to gather around them as the largest of them all padded forward, decked in a robin's egg blue garment and a circlet of sorts around the curved horn of his head. "Oh, Lion Goddess, I, king of the Arusians, formally beg your forgiveness."

"You weren't kidding," Mavis whispered to Hunk.

"Please, have mercy on us and accept our traditional Dance of Apology as atonement for our wrongdoings."

They all glanced awkwardly to each other, Coran a little ways behind them hugging one of the Arusians tightly. The king clapped his hands and one Arusian quickly rushed forward, getting into position. "Commence Dance of Apology!"

The Arusians cheered as a horn was blown and drums began to beat to a tempo. The Arusian quickly began to move in a set of elaborate movements, most of them merely looking cute and entirely out of place as Mavis merely blinked, looking to a slightly awkward Allura as the princess shifted uncomfortably. "Please, there's no need for this."

"Moontow, halt!" The Arusian paused, looking uncertain as she balanced on one leg and the king frowned. "The Goddess has refused the apology. Start the sacrificial fire, we must throw ourselves in!"

"No!" Allura cried. "No sacrifices!"

"So, we may proceed with the dance?"

"That's a...better alternative," Allura finished finally, and the music quickly commenced as the Arusian began to dance once more.

Mavis shifted awkwardly, eyeing the village curiously and wondering if there was a medic of sorts somewhere in their midst. The music drew to a halt as the dance came to a close and they all fell to their knees, bowing down. They all glanced about, clearly unsettled by the display as Allura frowned.

"Please, please, rise," Allura started warmly. "Thank you for that, but I am not a great being worthy of your worship. I accidentally put you all in danger. It is I who should be apologizing to _you._ I am Princess Allura and these are the Voltron Paladins."

Mavis took a mindful, small step back to where Coran stood, clasping her hands in front of her as she waited patiently. "Although we originally came from different worlds, and have very, very different traditions, we wish to get alongside you, as friends."

"But the mighty robotic angel," the king protested, "has it not come to destroy us because of our immoral ways?"

 _Immoral, huh?_ Mavis idly mused as she surveyed the cute little village. _These guys don't know Galra._

A sudden though struck her and Mavis paused, brows furrowing. _Do_ I _even know Galra?_

"Voltron? No. In fact, that might robot is here to protect you," Allura swept on, voice filled with hope and a commanding presence Mavis realized she as a royal must have been bred to perfect. "Let it be known that Voltron will protect every innocent being throughout the universe!"

The Arusians quickly went up in cheers, several of them rushing forward and clambering over the other paladins. Mavis stepped carefully around the smaller people, offering warm smiles and returning eager cuddles as she wove her way over toward the king. She nearly busted a gut at the sight of Keith being tackled by one a little ways away and turned her attention back to the king. "Hi, excuse me?"

The king whirled around, eyes shining. "Gray paladin! How may I assist you?"

"Gray—what?" Mavis blinked, looking down to her suit, tailored to look like Allura's—courtesy of Allura—"You can't go off fighting in those rags now!"—minus the pink and blue accents in replace of a darker gray and black, much nicer than the color of her hair. "No, no, I'm not a paladin. I'm, um...a healer? Yes, a healer! I was wondering if you had anyone of my sorts I could speak with to exchange... practices with?"

"A healer to gods!" The king crowed and Mavis paled. "Are you under oath as well?"

"...yes?" Mavis answered, raising a brow and figuring if the one she took at the Garrison was enough to suffice.

"Wonderful! Our healer is located to the blue hut, right over there!" The king quickly answered. "I'm sure she would be glad to share whatever humble knowledge we may possess to you."

"Thank you!" Mavis instantly leapt over several Arusians and skidded to a halt beside the door, crouching down onto her knees she gave it a soft knock and a much older Arusian hobbled out the door, her staff prodding the dirt as she peered up at her.

"Hello, great warrior, what ails you?"

"I'm not—" Mavis swallowed. "I am a healer, hopefully much like yourself. I was wondering if there were practices and information on the local plant life here that you could share with me."

The older Arusian smiled knowingly, hobbling back inside and disappearing for several minutes before she waddled out, Mavis quickly reaching out to help her carry the tome she carried in her hands. "This is a list of all the herbs my ancestors before me have used to help our people."

Mavis eagerly opened the pages and her eyes lit up at the drawings of plants native to Arus, scribbles of what must be Arusian beside them—she'd ask Pidge for help on translating later. "Thank you so much! This is absolutely perfect. And this here—it only grows a few feet away, right?"

The old healer nodded with content, setting her hands on her staff as Mavis shifted so she was crisscrossed beside her. "That one we use to heal our warriors and to keep wounds from growing more powerful."

Mavis quickly scribbled "antibiotic" besides the plant drawing, inquiring on more when a shadow fell over her work and she blinked. Her eyes turned skywards, craning her head back to meet dark gray eyes with hints of a deep purple. Mavis remained like that for a moment, simply staring up at Keith who was staring down at her before she cleared her throat. "Um, is there something I can help you with?"

She hadn't even realized there hadn't been the familiar sound of Keith and Lance bickering over the cheerful music and little cries from the Arusians throwing themselves about. Keith looked momentarily taken back, mouth opening and closing once before he coughed into his fist.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm studying up on some of the native vegetation here," Mavis replied simply. She figured Keith had wandered over seeing there weren't as many people over here and being the lone wolf he was—was probably looking for somewhere with more peace. "Their healer was kind enough to lend me their info."

"What's the point if we're just going to leave this planet anyway?"

 _Someone's ready to head to war._ Mavis idly flipped through the pages, turning around so she could face him somewhat more properly instead of hurting her neck staring up at him. "I know, but Allura mentioned there was a garden within the castle, so maybe I can take some and bring them back with me—or at least harvest what I can to make some medicine for us to take on the road."

"There's the healing pods," Keith added, and Mavis winced at that, not really willing to let him know what a blow to the gut that was for her as she nodded.

"True, but you never know what could happen outside the castle. For all we know, one day we might get caught on the middle of the battlefield and need medical help and those pods aren't going to come flying."

"But you're not going to be out there either."

 _This son of a—_ Keith's face was one innocence, his eyes simply staring down at her as he held his helmet under what arm. She didn't know _what_ she'd done to warrant a Keith you're-not-needed-go-home comment, but she really didn't feel like dealing with it, nor did she have the mental fortitude to withstand such a beating with how mopey she'd been anyway.

Mavis settled for a childish, "Whatever." Promptly shuffling around to turn her back to Keith and the red paladin blinked, brows furrowing in confusion.

"Why'd you turn away?"

"Why are you still here?" Mavis quipped back. "Is there something I can help you with that those pods can't? Cause if not, I'm going to go back to _learning_ if you don't mind."

She couldn't see the completely baffled look on Keith's face, mouth open in disbelief as he stared down at the medic before him. His hands shot up, ruffling his hair in frustration as he walked off, throwing one last glance over his shoulder before he sighed. To the side Hunk, eyes on the cute Arusians offering him plate after plate of their food, had heard the entire exchange and promptly shoved several more bits of their food into his mouth, figuring it was better not to meddle anyway. His eyes drifted to Lance, currently laughing joyfully as Arusians clambered over him and Hunk nodded as he swallowed. _Yeah, definitely better not to meddle._

Mavis jumped as the glowing communicators on her wrist suddenly lit up. _"Team, I need back up! Where are you?"_

"Shiro?" Mavis inquired at the same time Allura stood, brows furrowed as her earrings began to glow.

"What's wrong?"

"What's going on?" Keith, a little ways away leaning against a tree piped up and Lance and Hunk turned as Mavis stood as well.

The ground beneath them began to tremble as a fierce rumbling shook the air. Mavis' eyes widened and she whirled around as what looked to be a meteor of some sort began its descent into the atmosphere, a hot ball of flame shooting downwards.

"Oh, no," Keith murmured, eyes widening. "We have to get to our lions!"

They all quickly began to usher the Arusians toward shelter as the ground shook once more. Rock split and Allura herded the villagers toward their larger caves. "Quickly! This way, everyone hide!"

"On it!" Hunk bolted past and Mavis blinked, the Arusian healer in her arms as the little old Arusian lady contentedly swung back and forth, barely aware of what was going on.

"Not you," Keith growled, tugging Hunk back by the collar of his uniform.

A hand landed on her shoulder and Lance was at her side, brows furrowed. "You going to be fine?"

There was a slight tug in the pit of her stomach, a small, fleeting hope she quickly quelled and nodded, gesturing to Allura and Coran with the Arusian healer in her hands. "I'll help them get these guys to safety, you go do your thing."

Lance threw her a signature grin, sprinting off with Keith and Hunk as the three raced toward their lions. She watched their backs disappear and quickly shook her head, rushing over to Allura and Coran as they guided the rest of the Arusians toward a cave. The ground shook and a large, electric humming filled the air. _"Lay down some cover fire so they can get out of there!"_ She watched the teal colored lights illuminate her wrists in the darkness of the cave, feeling her chest tighten.

The ground trembled once more and bits of dirt fell from the top of the cave. Coran was trembling beside the Arusians as Allura glanced back to the mouth of the cave, brows knitted in worry. Mavis moved to stand beside her, tugging at the bands around her wrists and feeling the smooth metal hum beneath her fingertips.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Allura murmured, turning to her with a reassuring smile and Mavis offered a faint one in return.

The earth shook with a much more furious tremble than before as rock shattered several feet away. The cave trembled and bits of rock fell around them as the two winced, Coran letting out a screech of surprise as he held one of the Arusians tighter. "I'm sure." Allura repeated more firmly, shoulders straightened and stance firm.

Mavis wondered for a moment the kind of faces and appearances someone like Allura had to make throughout her lifetime, and figured those were questions that could be asked over a plate of space goo another day as the communicator lit up and everyone's voice were going back and forth, shouts and orders and idle bicker along with grunts and cries of pain.

 _What can I do?_ Mavis took a step forward, eyes flickering as she gazed at the mouth of the cave. _You don't even know what they're up against—it sounds big and dangerous and more than you can handle._

But maybe...

 _The most you've ever faced is nothing compared to what they'll be facing. That monster from the other day? You couldn't even handle it._

Mavis felt her brows furrow and she took another step forward, fingers lingering on the communicator as Shiro shouted orders.

 _But maybe..._

"Mavis! Come quickly," slender fingers closed around her wrist and Mavis jolted, turning around with wide eyes as she came face to face with Allura. "It seems a few of the Arusians were hurt by some falling rocks—what can we do?"

She stared at Allura for a moment, lost for words as Allura waited with restrained patience, clearly giving her a moment to regain her bearings when a small tap at her knee caused her to turn her gaze downwards. The old healer shakily held up her book with a small smile, waiting patiently when Mavis quickly gave her cheeks a firm pat.

Coran and Allura jumped at the loud slap, looking startled by her actions as Mavis quickly knelt down beside the injured Arusians and the healer stood before her, pulling things from her bag and setting them down. "Alright, according to this book here, we can use these herbs here to disinfect any of the wounds, and this one..."

Allura and Coran were quick to follow her instructions as they quickly sought to any injuries the Arusians might have sustained. Mavis worked quickly, listening attentively to the old healer and moving her hands deftly as she focused on the task before her. The glowing of the communicators at her wrist only a dull buzz in the back of her mind. Mavis pressed herbs and dusted powders as the Arusians chattered fearfully. A thundering crash shook the entire cave and victorious cries went up from the metal at her hands.

" _You did it, Shiro!"_

" _Keith, how did you do that?"_

"They did it!" Allura nearly dropped the bandages in her hands, eyes lighting up as she turned to Mavis, clasping her shoulder. "I told you they could!"

"Yeah," Mavis smiled sheepishly, noise dulling out around her as she stared down at her hands, stained with herbs and dirt and she paused.

"They did."

* * *

The rescued prisoners had safely boarded the pod Allura and Coran had set up for them. The Arusians were safe in their village, all wounds sought too and things rearranged. What the meteor had turned out to be was instead some sort of hulking robobeast made from obvious Galra tech that Voltron had managed to subdue with guidance from Shiro and an upgrade from Keith's bayard.

All in all, it seemed like a victory well deserved.

Allura had mentioned something of a celebration for their victory, as well as to pay homage to the Arusians for hosting them on Arus for as long as they did. Rushing off and working with Coran to finalize preparations, Mavis had found herself idly wandering the castle after the brief debriefing in the main control room. The worn book the healer had so graciously gifted her was tucked under one arm and Mavis idly played with the fraying edges, a thoughtful look on her face.

 _It's not just unfriendly alien life forms we're facing._ Memories of their arrival here and the fierce battle with Zarkon's general Sendak flashed through her mind and she turned her eyes downwards, staring at her scuffed up shoes and the fraying laces. _It really is a war._

It almost seemed unreal.

"Mavis?"

Mavis jumped, the book in her hands cluttering to the ground as she whirled around. Before her in all of his hulking glory and commanding presence stood Shiro, wide eyed and surprised as he held his hands out as if to appease her. "Woah, there, didn't mean to catch you by surprise."

"Oh, no—you didn't!" Mavis quickly rushed. The arch of Shiro's brow told her he thought otherwise but chose not to comment it as he offered her a small smile instead. "I mean, well—is there anything I can do for you?"

To be honest, when she'd first encountered Shiro, despite his battered and bruised state, in the back of her head she'd been freaking out because despite choosing to go into the medical field, the Kerberos mission had been—well, _legendary_ before everything that went down. _Shiro_ had been legendary. She'd been surrounded by glimpses of medals and articles praising the Garrison commander for all his accomplishments and everything he'd managed for his age and, well, under better circumstances meeting someone like Takashi Shirogane would have been a dream.

 _Now I'm working beside him._ Mavis inwardly shook her head, wondering what she would have thought of such a thing only a few days ago. _On a team—_

She faltered at the thought. But before her thoughts could continue Shiro reached outwards and Mavis jumped when his hand landed on her shoulder. She could feel the heat of his hand and her eyes flickered to the robotic arm hanging at his side and she felt a stab of sympathy for the man in front of her. _What have you been through?_

"I just wanted to say good job," Shiro managed finally, dark eyes warm and welcoming. "I know these past few days have been quite a storm and you've been doing you best to keep up with everyone. Allura told me about how well you handled everything with the Arusians and I know you're going to keep doing great things."

 _I know you'll find yourself a spot on this team._

Mavis felt her heart swell at his words and she quickly nodded, unable to do anything but offer a somewhat dopey smile back. "T-Thanks, Shiro."

"Anytime," he offered her a small grin and turned to continue walking past. "You said you trusted me and could come to me for anything, right? Brave words for only knowing someone for a few days."

Her book landed in her hands and Shiro threw her one last smile. With that he continued on his way and Mavis was left there, mind reeling and a pleasant buzz in the back of her mind as she smiled idly at the floor. _Because a guy like you makes feeling like that possible._

"Why are you smiling at the floor like that?"

Mavis nearly screamed, leaping once more into the air as the book Shiro had picked up for her hit the floor once more. Mavis cursed under her breath, reaching down and cradling the poor and abused thing as she turned around and met Keith's piercing stare.

"Am I not allowed to smile at the floor?"

Keith simply stared. It almost unnerved her how easily it seemed like his eyes were burning holes through her soul and seeing through every part of her, but Mavis had spent years crafting herself in a way that protected her from people like that. Her jab/joke was lost on him as Keith continued to stare, obviously feeling he was deserving of a proper answer and Mavis sighed.

"I just..." She shrugged, lips tugging upwards at the memory of Shiro's words. "I just heard something good is all."

Keith's lips parted, as if to question her once more on what could have made her look like that. But the expression on her face forced him to falter and he swallowed it down, eyes shifting nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck and started again. "I've been wondering. Back at the Garrison, do you... do you remember anything?"

"Remember anything?" Mavis gave him a look of utter confusion. "I mean, if you're asking if I remember all these answers to that surprise midterm in the planetary course everyone had to take then—"

"No, no, I mean—" Keith looked somewhat frustrated, obviously trying to find the right way to formulate his words.

On another occasion Mavis would have humored him and waited, but she was properly motivated now and she had things she needed to do.

"Well, when you figure it out, let me know." Mavis waved over her shoulder and Keith looked up in surprise, looking as though he wanted to say something when she added, "See ya later, dropout!"

* * *

Mavis had somehow idly found herself in one of the hangar bays. She'd been finding herself in different areas of the castle as of late, and today in particular for some reason she'd found herself stumbling across Blue's hangar.

The particle barrier that had been up previously was dropped, something that had scared the shit out of Mavis at first and caused her to drop all the books in her hands. She'd warily been watching Blue's face for any sort of...sign that perhaps the magical mechanical lion didn't want her here. Though she'd like to think that if the barrier was down, then Blue didn't mind.

"You know I'm just trying to do my best, huh?" Mavis offered nervously, curiously making small steps toward the base of the lion where she was only a foot away from the sleek mechanical paw.

Mavis hesitantly stretched her hand outwards, waiting any moment for the barrier to come up and knock her several yards away in rejection. When it never came she couldn't resist the temptation and quietly set her hand down on the cool metal, waiting.

No noise reached her ears, no buzzing in her brain or tingling anywhere throughout her body. A small smile touched her lips and she idly stroked the paw, getting lost in her thoughts. "You take good care of Lance now, alright? He's definitely one of a kind."

 _No wonder you picked him that day._ Mavis let her fingers trail over the sleek metal. _No wonder all of them were picked that day._

There was a flash of envy in the far corners of her heart and she quickly shoved it aside, shaking her head as she gave Blue a reassuring pat. "I'll do my part on my end and you do your part. You could probably do more for him than I ever could anyway."

There was a peculiar tug in the far corners of her mind, a shift in thoughts that made Mavis' brows furrowed and she figured it was probably better if she left the lion to its own...self. Picking up her things and setting off for a new place to hole up—most likely in Pidge's room or in the kitchen—she gave Blue one last look and let the doors to the hangar _swoosh_ close behind her.

* * *

"Mav! Mav! Mav—"

Mavis half turned, brows raised at the eager calling of her name when she got a mouth full of soft cotton and vanilla and she staggered backwards. Mavis blinked, rubbing her forehead as her eyes turned upwards to a shining eyed Lance and she arched a brow. "Yes, Lance?"

"I heard you helped all those Arusians while we were fighting!" Lance quickly continued, eyes bright and shining with the pride of a proud father and Mavis blinked once more.

"Well, I just did what I could with their healer's help—"

"Oh, man, this is going to be awesome!" Lance crowed, slinging an arm over her shoulder as he began to steer them toward some unknown direction, hands moving animatedly as he continued on. "Me at the helm of Blue, everyone working under my command, you with your wizard med skills helping people left and right—the universe is going to be dying to throw parades and shower gifts at our feet!"

"What brought all this on?" Mavis questioned, a laugh bubbling at her lips as she swayed slightly with Lance's lankier pace. "According to Allura, there could end up being more of those things and—"

"And we'll have the dream team ready to go," Lance finished proudly, looking all too smug and over confident as usual as his eyes sparkled and his grip around her tightened.

Mavis contemplated his words, looking thoughtful for a moment before a smile split across her lips and she shook her head, chest warming at his words and the doubts from earlier being pushed to the far corners of her head.

"You're not supposed to be in it for the glory, you know."

"I know! I'm the most modest guy you know."

"That's rich coming from you."

"What the—shut your quiznak Keith! Where did you even _come_ from?"

Lance idly made a mental note to give Blue a nice waxing and fine polishing later, figuring it was better off that Mavis never knew he'd been sitting patiently inside of Blue when she'd stepped into the hangar. He'd originally been chilling in the cockpit after feeling a little mixed up and homesick, and being in the presence of Blue was always a great way for him to feel a little comforted and at peace with himself.

At first Lance had figured he could catch Mavis by surprise, but when Mavis' words had reached him as Blue came to life, letting him hear what she heard—he'd discovered as of late Blue was a fine and beautiful lady—he'd had a sort of mental chat with Blue before deciding on his next course of action.

As he traded words with Keith, his eyes barely drifted down to the bemused girl beside him and he felt the corners of his lips tugging upwards.

 _I've got your back too._

* * *

 **Chapter Note:**

 **Harvest Sun -** a popular farming game for several different gaming consoles back on earth.

* * *

 **Harvest sun, ey? ;)**

 **I can already tell I'm going to have way too much fun with this story. I've been jotting down ideas for chapters I plan to have later on in the future and let me just say you guys are going to be in for one wild, whacky ride and I hope you love every bit of it :)**

 **FIRST OFF, thank you all so much for your kind words of encouragement! I honestly had figured this story would only get so much reception since there's a bit of a lack of stories for this fandom, and I was so in love to see how much you guys were loving it already and for loving Mavis and for looking forward to the next chapter! Thank you all so much for taking it out the time to read, it absolutely means the world to me and makes me smile this kinda stupid little smile as I hit the computers to get cranking with a new chapter.**

 **It looks like I'm going to be sticking to a Lance/Oc/Keith for now, with added drama as the story progresses because I mean, nothing can ever be** _ **that**_ **simple and nice and fluffy, right? ;)**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I promise more interactions with each of the characters will be coming soon, especially with Shiro and Allura because the dynamics between Mavis and those two is going to be** _ **hella fun**_ **to write.**

 **On a side note, I've been investing way too much time scrolling through tumblr and I'm honestly contemplating starting a blog back up for you guys to get updates and info on all my stories, as well as updates and headcannons and little requests for things you guys would like me to write. If I get that started up I'll be sure to let you all know!**

 **Once again, thank you all so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Marshmellow-**

 **-OUT!**


	3. We all fall down

**In celebration of season 5 we have an update :,)**

 **ON A SIDE NOTE, SEASON 5 HAS ME SHOOK. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT YET I WONT SPOIL BUT**

 **#NOTMYSHIRO**

 **I do not own Voltron.**

* * *

Of the Stars and You

Chapter Three:

We all fall down

* * *

In which Mavis reveals how much she's always hated home invasion scenes but finds herself being useful, Pidge struggles with what she wants over what she needs to do, Shiro makes a surprising discovery, and Lance is more of a hero than he realizes.

* * *

"Oh, man—oh, oh _quiznak_." Mavis chanted nervously under her breath, fingers shaking as she tried hard to hold steady to her personal first aid kit in her hands, hoping it wouldn't rattle with the force of her shaking.

Heavy footsteps sounded outside the door as metal clanged on tile and she assumed the group of sentries stalked past, holding her breath.

Maybe she should've just stayed with Keith and Allura after all. What could she even do? Why'd she have to go and run off and— _focus_. Mavis shook her head. This was no time to be fretting over things that couldn't be changed, she needed to—she needed to think like Shiro.

 _What would Shiro do?_ Mavis nervously drummed her fingers against her first aid kit and stopped. _He wouldn't do that. He'd... He'd think about what he has and his situation._

There were three things Mavis was aware of at the moment.

One, Sendak and his soldiers were still roaming about the castle. Judging by the violet streams of light pouring out in the darkened halls, he'd done something to take over the castle's systems and convert it to Galra.

Two, the rough first aid job she gave to Lance was not going to hold for another hour and she needed to be back at his side to change the bandages and get his blood moving so she could do something about those burns otherwise he wasn't going to make it. This thought quickly sent her already beating heart on edge and she felt her stomach clench—Lance needed her _now_ , and by the looks of it, Shiro too.

Three, she needed to do _something_ instead of sitting here in some Altean form of a broom closet with only the communicators on her wrists offering her any bit of light. And fun fact—Mavis _hated_ the dark.

 _How did we even get in this mess?_

* * *

 _Hours before..._

"It's kind of nice to know there'll always be at least one planet we're welcome on," Mavis mused as she slid one of the Arusian sweets into her mouth, some strange, marshmallow shaped thing with a fresh texture similar to strawberries. "You know, considering majority of the universe is under Zarkon's control."

Festive music filled the air, bouncing off the castle walls. Arusians moved in and out of the castle, cheering and laughing brightly as the festive feast went on to see the Castle of Lions and its warriors off. Upon the balcony she could see Allura's moonlit hair streaming over her shoulders as she surveyed the entire scene below her. Mavis idly wondered if she was looking for someone to talk to and upon spotting the mice, figured Allura was better off in other company. _It's not like I know much to talk to her about anyway._

"Well, there's always Earth at least," Lance added, swishing around the strange contents in his cup as he looked thoughtful for a moment. "Can't go wrong there."

"Not for long unless we do something about it," Keith said simply, and both Mavis and Lance gave him withering looks. "What? It's true. You think Zarkon's just going to let Earth sit by unharmed?"

" _Oh_ -kay, Debbie Downer," Lance rolled his eyes. "Earth is going to be fine because our beautiful home has—" Lance made an extravagant gesture with his arms, pulling Mavis in tight against his armor so that she made a face and Keith did the same at their proximity, "—the greatest heroes ever."

A loud cheer went up and Lance brightened at the sound, turning eyes upwards when he deflated upon realizing it was just the Arusians with their performance. Hunk made his way through the crowd, a smile on his lips. "We should get ourselves something like that."

"Like what?" Lance questioned.

"You know, like a cheer," Hunk continued. "Like, a team cheer that we do."

Mavis' nose scrunched up at the idea, thinking while Lance looked thoughtful as he put a hand to his chin. "Hmm... Yeah, okay, how about... When I say Vol, you say Tron. Vol!"

"Uh... Voltron?" Keith reiterated.

Mavis clasped her hands over her mouth to keep her laugh from spilling out and Lance frowned, turning to him. "No, no, no. The cheer _includes_ the instructions. I say _Vol_ and you say..."

Hunk and Keith both stared at him expectantly, waiting a moment before Keith awkwardly leaned forward. "...Voltron?"

Lance grimaced, bringing the cup to his lips as he turned his head to the side. "We'll work on it."

Mavis couldn't keep the fit of laughter from leaving her lips. Keith turned to an equally confused Hunk and raised his hands in a 'what can you do' kind of gesture. The three jumped when Lance made a noise of distress, flailing around wildly as he struggled to swallow whatever it was he'd drunk and shot off to Coran. "Coran! What is this?"

"Oh, this is Nunvill, the nectar of the gods." Coran explained simply.

"It tastes like hot dog water and _feet_."

"Yeah, makes a wonderful hair tonic as well!"

Lance turned at that, face paling as he practically gagged. The three of them hovered around him uncertainly, Mavis wondering if maybe there could an allergic reaction involved and if she should test to see if he had an upset stomach. Keith merely prodded Lance with his finger and the group jumped as he fell over in a heap of limbs.

"I think... I need... mouth to mouth," Lance choked out.

"Oh, don't be such a baby." Mavis poked at Lance's fallen body with a laugh, shaking her head. "It couldn't have been _that_ —"

Her next words were cut off as Lance came to life for a few moments to grab Hunk's cup and press it to her lips. A thick liquid quickly slid down her throat and the moment it hit her tongue Mavis choked, arms flailing backwards as Hunk and Keith watched with wide eyes. Lance looked satisfied as Mavis fell back, hacking and coughing as she gagged, the liquid already burning its way down her throat and to her stomach.

"Poison," Mavis choked out, dramatically clutching Keith's leg and Paladin armor as she looked up at him. "It was...poison—"

" _What?_ " Keith was suddenly in her face, gathering her up halfway into his arms as his eyes shot desperately to Lance. "Lance! What were you thinking—"

"No! Holy crow, no Keith, no!" Mavis' hands shot up and clasped either side of his face, nearly pursing his lips from the force of squishing his cheeks as she turned him to look at her, eyes wide with alarm and a laugh spilling from her lips. "I'm joking!"

"Oh, right," Keith managed around his squished cheeks and Mavis felt another laugh spill from her lips.

Keith's eyes watched her for a moment, somewhat dazed as Lance helped himself up and stretched a hand out to Mavis as well. She quickly took it, hands leaving Keith's face as he crouched there, lost for a moment until Hunk nearly hefted him up by the arms. "Like I would ever poison Mav, have ye little faith in me?"

"It could have been—" An Arusian suddenly tugged down on Keith's arm and he lurched, turning around to figure out what it was the group wanted.

Lance's smile began to tug downwards slightly as he looked at the newly filled cup in his hands, idly swirling its contents and watching his reflection become blurred. "Maybe we ought to get used to this space juice."

"What do you mean?" Hunk questioned and Mavis looked horrified by the thought.

"I mean, who knows when we'll get back home again." Lance said, looking suddenly forlorn at the thought and Mavis watched her friend, brows furrowing.

"Yeah, if ever." Hunk agreed, swishing his cup around and Lance's own brows furrowed as well.

"What do _you_ mean?"

"I mean, if this Zarkon guy has been ruling for ten thousand years, how long do you think it will take for us to fix it?" Hunk questioned. "You know, if we live."

Mavis felt as though someone had slammed a fist into her gut. She breathed out a slow sigh, eyes drifting to the side at Hunk's words and the creeping reality that he _was_ right. They couldn't liberate planets and save the universe in a night, they could be signing themselves up for a mission that could come to last... _years_.

 _They._ Mavis paused at the word, staring down at her own cup as a hovering saucer floated past them and Hunk grabbed the bowl. Her blurred reflection stared up at her and she blinked once. _Not we, they._

"Right," Lance agreed, looking downtrodden. "That."

"Hey, what do you think the chances are of us landing on a nacho planet?" Hunk wondered aloud, veering off topic and looking at the food in his hand curiously.

"Well," Lance started, voice warm as his eyes lit up. "There's only one planet with Veradera beach, pizza shack looking over the water and the garlic knots and...my mom's hugs."

Mavis looked up at the break in Lance's voice, not a dramatic act or exaggerated swoon, it was a small, choked up break that caused him to sniffle as his eyes turned downwards.

If there was something Mavis had always been drawn to about Lance, it was how the teenager always managed to lay his heart on his sleeve at the same time as he put up a front of wide smiles and waggling brows. She wouldn't dare to cry in front of people she didn't know or trust with her life, but Lance was already on the verge of tears as he recalled home.

 _Home._ The word bounced around in her head like a dull echo. Flashes of a lonely apartment looking over the small city and stretching out to the ocean flashed in her head and she felt a dull ache in her chest.

"I'm sorry, I think this Nunvill is getting to me," Lance sniffed. "I gotta go."

Mavis' fingers trailed over his hand as he offered her a shaky smile and stalked off. Her eyes followed her friend for a moment, legs beginning to shift as she moved to walk after him, but her eyes drifted to a concerned Coran who had already started following after Lance and paused when a hand landed on her shoulder. "Maybe just," Hunk paused, looking uncertain before he nodded. "Just give him a minute, yeah? I doubt the first thing he'd want is you walking in on him crying like a baby."

"Hunk, we're talking about the guy who bawled after watching _The Little Siren_ ," Mavis looked unconvinced, staring after the empty staircase and glancing down at her combat boots. "He'd... He'd probably want some company, right?"

"Well, Keith looks like he could use some company too," Hunk offered, shoulder rising up as his head tilted to the side.

Mavis' eyes wearily followed his gaze to where Keith was standing coolly against the wall, Arusians weaving around him and chatting idly but he only offered a word or two back in response.

"He looks like he wants to be alone," Mavis corrected.

"C'mon, what's the worst that could happen?" Hunk offered, and Mavis opened her mouth to give him a long list of things that could go wrong when Hunk motioned Keith over.

To her surprise the Red Paladin seemed relieved by the action, breaking free of the Arusians and taking long strides to stand beside them. His eyes drifted to her then to Hunk and he stood, waiting for a moment before he took in the two of them once more and blinked. "Where's Lance?"

"He got emotional talking about home so he's walking it off," Hunk said sympathetically and Keith looked surprised.

"You mean just talking about Earth?"

"Not _just_ Earth," Mavis trailed off, as her brows furrowed. "The parts of Earth that make it... _home._ Like beaches lining along the highway you can streak down at night, cities pressed on the edge of white sand, the bustle of cars and the roar of waves..."

Mavis stopped when she realized Keith and Hunk were staring at her curiously and she paused, shifting uncomfortably. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just..." Hunk blinked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't think I've ever heard you talk about your home before. You only kind of mentioned a little bit when Lance was around."

"Where are you from?" Keith questioned curiously and a slightly proud smile tugged at Mavis' lips.

"California," she explained.

Keith's eyes lit up slightly and his mouth slid open to offer a response when Mavis suddenly shook her head, looking determined as she turned. "Now if you'll excuse me, coast kids have to stick together."

She threw them a wave over her shoulder and marched off, intent on finding Lance in hopefully better spirits. Her feet barely made it up a few steps as she wove around a few Arusians when the _clack_ of gentle heels hit her ears and she paused as Allura's beaming face was suddenly before her. "Mavis! Just the person I wished to see."

"Me?" Mavis echoed, blinking once in surprise as Allura nodded, clasping her hands in front of her as she leaned forward.

"You see, the mice and I have been discussing a few things and—"

"They didn't tell you about the healing pod argument did they?" Mavis quickly cut in, a blush coloring her cheeks in embarrassment. "It was just one time and I was a little upset—"

"No, no, nothing of the sort—all though," Allura arched a fine brow, giving Mavis a quizzical look. "That does sound like a discussion for a later date."

" _Anyway_ , what were you saying?" Mavis offered hopefully as she shifted from foot to foot and met Allura's gaze with a small smile. "Princess?"

Allura's mouth opened and she hesitated, eyes flickering for a brief moment before she added, "You need not call me by such a title, Mavis, Allura will do. After all, we are... comrades, no? You needn't call me by such things."

Mavis felt her shoulders slump slightly in relief and she nodded in agreement, warmed by Allura's hospitality and hoping there might be some ease to speaking with the royal alien after all. The two of them weren't close, but she supposed there was a chance they could be if either of them actually wished for it.

"But as I was saying, the mice and I were discussing a few things and I could not help but wonder if perhaps..." Allura trailed off, pressing the tips of her fingers together as Mavis waited and then Allura was suddenly very close to her face and looking incredibly eager. "Perhaps you could tell me about Pidge's... _situation_?"

"Situation?" Mavis echoed, looking confused before she blinked. "Is Pidge all right? Is there something going on? What situation?"

"Oh, you know," Allura waved a hand around, looking as though she were fishing for the right words before she leaned forward as if the two of them were sharing a secret. " _Her_ situation?"

Mavis' mind clicked into place and she shot a glance to an unsuspecting Pidge, the younger girl examining a floating plate in her hands and Mavis quickly shook her head. "Oh, no, I'm not going to play a part in this. If you have questions for Pidge, you should figure out—I mean, um, you should... _retrieve_ the answers you seek from Pidge."

Allura deflated, clearly having hoped Mavis would have spilled details about what was going on and Mavis quickly ascended a few more steps. "Well, anyway, I'm just going to, you know, head along now and—"

"If things work out the way I hope," Allura began suddenly, brightening as she clasped her hands together eagerly. "The three of us should meet up! Oh, how wonderful it would be if the three of us could get together every now and then and have a nice day to ourselves—we can chatter about whatever pleases us and—"

"That sounds _lovely_ ," Mavis offered, and it did, a bit. "But I'm going to go along now—good luck with Pidge!"

Mavis quickly scaled the rest of the steps and shot toward the entrance to the hallway of the castle. The doors _swooshed_ open before her and closed as she stepped through, enveloping her in a cool darkness with soft lights illuminating the sides of the hallway. The lights set Mavis' sudden nerves at ease and she breathed a sigh of relief, heading down the hallway in search of her friend.

 _It would help if I knew where he decided to go._ Mavis' hands slid to her pockets, when she realized the suit Allura had customized for her didn't have pockets. Shrugging she let her arms swing at her sides and she let her eyes skim over the hallway walls, Altean teal illuminating her way as parts of the hallway brightened with every step she took.

It was a truly magnificent castle, she'd have to give it that. These past few days she still didn't know its entire layout and she doubt she would anytime soon. Mavis eyes followed along the simple but intricate patterns and she couldn't help but idly wonder what Altea itself would have looked like. _Maybe I can ask Allura and Coran for a little history lesson._ Her fingers stretched out as she rounded a corner and she blinked at the sight of Pidge's hacked Galra robot beeping along as it rounded a corner as well. "Rover?"

The floating device blinked a light at her once, seeming to scan her for a moment before proceeding on its way. Mavis arched a brow and tailed after the robot. "Guess you wouldn't mind if I followed you, right? I wonder where Pidge is though..."

Mavis eyes strayed to the side and she quickly brightened at the sight of a window. Glancing to Rover and seeing that the robot was continuing at its easy pace, she strode toward it and peered around the edge. Several stories up she could make out the Arusians below, streaking in and out of the castle. Her eyes strayed to the vast landscape before her, noting the glow of the Arusian village over the hilltop and stopping when her eyes were drawn up toward the stars.

"We're not in Kansas anymore, Rover," Mavis mused, eyes taking in the thousands of stars illuminating the sky above her as her gaze grew thoughtful. "You think if I'm not of any use after all, they'd send me back?"

 _Or maybe that's too much work._ Mavis felt a breeze tug at her hair and she tucked a strand back. _Maybe they could direct a course for me though and I'd fly back myself. How far are we, anyway?_

A sigh she didn't know she'd been holding slipped from her lips and she leaned against the window, drinking in the sight of the sky above her.

 _Do I even want to go home?_

" _Do you even have a home?"_

A beeping reached her ears and she quickly turned, spotting Rover rounding another corner and she quickly followed after the robot, rounding the same corner just as a door _swooshed_ open and Rover flew in. _The control room._ Mavis quickly strode toward the doors, letting them slide open when she blinked in surprise, Coran only a few steps away with Lance right behind.

"Ah, Number Five! So nice of you to join us," Coran beamed, raising a hand up in greeting and behind him Lance perked up.

Mavis felt her shoulders relax at the sight of his brightened face and she made a mental note to visit him later once all the pomp and circumstance was over—maybe a sleepover? He did have plenty of facemasks to go around. "Hey, guys, what've you two been up too?"

"Reminiscing over fond memories," Coran dabbed at his eye as though there had been a tear and Rover beeped beside her, floating past as Lance strode over to them.

"Hey, Rover. Mav, what are you doing here?" Lance grinned, taking another step forward before he paused, brows furrowing as he turned around and followed Rover's movements. "Wait a minute... Where's Pidge?"

A furious beeping filled the air and Mavis' eyes flickered to Rover, Lance stiffening as his eyes went wide and Rover flashed red. "What's wrong—"

"Guys, look out!" Lance tackled forward just as the entire castle trembled and a wave of heat slammed into the three of them.

Mavis barely felt Lance's hand shoving her backwards as he tackled Coran to the floor and flames shot outwards and an explosion filled the room. A shout tore from her lips as she was sent flying back, the breath leaving her lungs when her back collided with sleek metal and the door to the control room crumpled beneath the impact of the blast, sending her and scraps of metal tumbling backwards.

Smoke filled her lungs, pain shooting up her entire body and Mavis hacked, trying to breathe. Her hands scrabbled uselessly along the ground, chips of metal and rock digging into her palms as she groaned, head spinning and body swaying. _A bomb? If that was an explosion... But how?_

Her hands slipped and she fell forward, head colliding into the ground and she groaned in pain. Her eyes searched dizzily through the smoke, coughing as it filled her lungs and she propped herself up once more, trying to get a grip on what was happening.

 _Useless._

Months of training and war simulations kicked in and Mavis' eyes focused into attention— _you're a medic for God's sake, do something!_ She quickly assessed herself, feeling sharp aches and pains all along her body but luckily it seemed nothing had been broken. Her fingers gingerly stretched backwards and she felt along her spine, wincing. _That's going to bruise tomorrow though._ Next step was to assess her field—

 _Lance._ Her heart dropped and she moved to stand, wincing when her legs crumpled beneath her so she settled for dragging herself through the haze of smoke. _Body still winded. Control room is in tatters—Coran and Lance—_

Her fingers enclosed around fabric and she glanced down, relief filling her at the sight of Coran. "Coran?" Her voice rasped out and Mavis coughed. "Coran? Are you alright?"

A groan left his lips and she quickly felt along his body, feeling bruises and light abrasions but nothing too serious. _Just winded too._ "I think so... although I feel as though a full grown Clunkra slammed straight through me."

Coughing filled the room as Mavis wearily tried to help Coran up. "Mavis! Coran!"

Her shoulders slumped in further relief as everyone appeared through the smoke, waving it aside and crouching beside them. Hunk was quickly propping her up as Shiro bent down to help Coran. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure..." Coran started, rubbing his temple.

"Are you alright?" Keith was suddenly at her side and she felt Pidge hovering behind them, eyes wide with disbelief and fear.

"Fine. It was a bomb," Mavis coughed and she felt Hunk's fingers feeling around her arms as she waved him off. "I'm okay, but we need to find—"

"The crystal!" The smoke began to clear and Mavis finally took in the damage left from the explosion. The crystal that had once filled the room with a brilliant glow was shattered, broken bits of the console holding steady. Allura started forward and she gasped, "Lance!"

Mavis quickly struggled to stand, wincing and Keith moved to help, but Hunk had already slung her arm over his shoulder, nearly hoisting her off her feet. A hand brushed aside her uneven bangs and Mavis blinked wearily, meeting Keith's iris colored eyes, his brows furrowed in concern.

"Lance? Lance!" Shiro's voice cut through the growing haze in her mind and Mavis struggled forward, Hunk bringing them closer as a low, pained groan filled the deafening quiet of the room. _I must've hit my head. Hazy eyesight and slurred thinking—have to check for concussion later._

The sight of Lance's bruised and battered face made her heart sink, fear suddenly clawing at her chest as Shiro propped him up in his arms. "We have to get Lance to the infirmary!" Pidge snapped, fear tinging her voice.

"Without the crystal, the castle has no power," Allura said hurriedly, worry etching onto her features.

"He doesn't look good," Shiro murmured, Lance's cocoa skin now a pale and bruised comparison. Shiro's eyes snapped to Mavis, "Mavis, what should we do?"

For a moment, Mavis couldn't understand why _Shiro_ of all people was asking her that. Her disbelief must've shown on her face because Shiro's brows furrowed and he half turned to her, gently holding Lance. "Mavis," he began, voice calm but laced with urgency. "You know what to do. What do we _do_?"

 _What do we do?_

As though she'd been slapped in the face, Mavis quickly stumbled forward, pulling herself from Hunk's grip and dodging Keith's hovering hands as she fell to her knees beside them. Her eyes hardened at Lance's wounds and she quickly felt around his armor, pressing the back of her hand to his neck and furrowing her brows as she fumbled through the tool belt-like pouch on her hips. "It looks like his armor did what it was supposed to do and protected him from most of the blast—what really did a number was the heat and debris that must've struck his face and the force of the impact itself."

Her nimble fingers slid between the chinks in his armor, feeling along the soft fabric of his undershirt, nudging bruises and feeling for broken bones. Her face winced and she pulled back, reaching into her pouch as she set out several rolls and salves. "I think he might've broken a rib. But the force of the explosion hit him full force since he shoved me aside and tackled Coran."

She felt his pulse once more and Mavis breathed out a quiet sigh. "He's stable but unconscious, probably will be for a while. I can patch him up and put on a salve I made for bruising and cuts, but he's going to need those healing pods for the internal damage."

Shiro nodded, a hand landing on her shoulder and gripping it tightly. Mavis' eyes darted to him and his dark irises flickered. "Good job, Mavis."

Pride fluttered in the furthest corner of her chest before a sharp pain jabbed her instead and she withheld a wince, getting to work on Lance when hurried footsteps met her ears and the Paladins turned as the king of the Arusians skidded to a halt. "Lion Warriors! Our village is under attack, we need help!"

"Let's get to the lions!" Keith started.

"You can't," Allura shook her head. "They're sealed in their hangars. There's no way to get them out. We're defenseless."

"Will you not help us?" The Arusian king quickly butted in, looking concerned and Mavis turned her attentions back to Lance, gingerly applying the salve to his wounds.

"We'll help you," Keith growled. "We just..."

Lance's pained groaned vibrated beneath her fingers and Mavis felt a small jolt of fear, shoving it aside and reminding herself she'd done a check-up, he would be okay.

 _For now._

"This is bad," Hunk shook his head, keeping Coran propped up until he managed to pull away.

"We have to get a new crystal to get the castle working again," Coran explained. "But, to get a new crystal we need a ship."

"The pod I was loading, we can use that!" Pidge exclaimed. "I left the bay door open."

"I can use the scanner in the pod to see if there's a Balmera nearby. Hunk, you come with me. I'll need someone big to help me carry the crystal." Coran said.

"A Balmera?" Hunk questioned.

"It's where the crystals are from. I'll tell you about it on the way!"

"I'll go see what's happening at the Arusian village," Keith started as Coran, Hunk and Pidge hurried to the open hangar.

"I'll go with you, Keith. I brought this on the poor Arusians," Allura shook her head and Keith nodded, the two of them heading off.

"I'll tend to Lance and watch the castle with Mavis," Shiro said, glancing back to Lance's unconscious form.

Keith's eyes darted back for a split second and he hesitated as Allura hurried on, "Be careful."

Mavis offered him a sheepish smile and Keith, looking unconvinced pulled himself away and shot after Allura. She watched their retreating forms and turned her attention back to Lance as she breathed out a sigh, settling beside Shiro. Her eyes finally adjusted to the dark and Mavis froze for a split second, fear gripping her heart.

"T-There's no lights, is there?" Mavis mumbled quietly, eyes darting to the barest glows of Altean teal along the walls and Shiro's brows furrowed.

"The castle power is out, remember? No lights." His eyes surveyed the damage before him and he started to stand, hoisting Lance over his shoulder. "We should move to somewhere else, who knows what could happen here."

"Light," Mavis murmured quietly, fingers trembling slightly as she quickly scrambled to stand Shiro threw her a confused look. "L-Light—we should head outside so I can see better and treat him. I need to get my first aid kit from my room."

Shiro nodded, adjusting his grip on Lance before he paused. Mavis tried to take deep breaths, reminding herself it was just a power outage, Coran and Hunk would get the new crystal, she'd keep Lance stable, and before they knew it everything would be fine. _It's just a little dark, is all. Just a little. The moon is shining right outside._

"—avis?" Mavis jumped, whirling around to a concerned Shiro. "Mavis, you alright?"

"I'm fine." Mavis quickly nodded, a shaky smile on her lips. "We're fine, let's get moving."

* * *

Mavis wished she could have socked herself in the face for even uttering the words 'fine' only minutes before.

She barely just reached the edge of the hallway when Shiro had whirled around, eyes intense and burning, and shoved her roughly to the side. Her eyes had widened, wincing at the impact to her new bruises when she caught Shiro's motion for her to stay down and he sprinted down the hall, Lance laid to rest along the hallway wall.

Mavis had peered around the corner and felt her stomach fall several feet below the ground at the glowing violet of a small squadron of Galra troops making their way into the castle. _Sendak._ The general from Voltron's first fight collided head on with Shiro and Mavis tucked herself into a corner, first aid kit laying uselessly beside her.

 _Shiro's fighting. Shiro's risking his life for all of us and I can't even do anything._ Her eyes darted wildly in the dim darkness, searching for anything—a weapon, something she could use to help—

 _And what?_ A voice chided and Mavis froze. _Make yourself an easy target when he went out of his way to hide you?_

Her hands dug into her hair and Mavis nearly kicked a vase beside her in frustration. She risked a glance around the corner and fear and anger gripped her when Lance was pulled to the ground and Shiro was forced to surrender, a harsh blow being dealt to the back of his neck as he collapsed forward and she caught the barest glint of Sendak's fangs as he grinned.

"Voltron is _ours_."

 _No. No. No. No._ Mavis held her breath and tucked herself further in, waiting as her body trembled as Sendak and his soldiers marched past, dragging Shiro and Lance along behind them. They ascended the stairwell and disappeared behind the top doors with a _swoosh_. _The control room?_ Mavis waited a few minutes till the coast was clear and scrambled to her feet. _Keith and Allura are outside, if I can get to them and tell them what happened—_

The entire castle trembled and Mavis braced herself on the wall beside her. Her eyes went wide as the entire castle grew dark, surrounding her in pitch darkness save for the moonlight illuminating the front of the castle down a stretch of hallway before her. Without thinking she quickly bolted towards it, fear spiking through her veins and blood running cold as she raced against the darkness, reaching desperately for _any_ bit of light. Something began to glow behind her and she risked a glance back, stumbling in the darkness just as the entire castle gave an eerie hum and the Altean teal that once glowed illuminated once more in a Galran purple instead.

"Mavis!"

Keith's voice cut through the hazy fear clouding her mind and she whirled around, spotting he and Allura sprinting toward her from the far side of the castle. She quickly shot toward them, racing against the lights beginning to barely illuminate the castle as her feet touched grass and dirt. There was a look of wild desperation in Keith's eyes that surprised her for only a second when a loud humming filled the air and Mavis barely had time to skid to a stop as a particle barrier came down between them.

 _Moonlight. It's not dark anymore. You're okay. You're okay._ Mavis' chest heaved up and down and Keith's furious pounding on the barrier brought her back to reality. _Or maybe not._

"We were too late!" Keith snarled, slamming his fists uselessly against the barrier and quickly drawing his bayard.

"Stop! You can't break it with one weapon," Allura's arm shot out to bar him from attacking. "Mavis, what happened?"

"Sendak," Mavis panted, struggling to her feet as she braced her hands on her knees. "He came—Shiro tried to hold him off, but now he's got both of them and—"

"That means whoever's taken the castle has a crystal, and _that_ means they'll be able to fly the ship," Allura shook her head, voice grave. "We have to stop them."

Mavis tentatively stretched her fingers outwards against the barrier, no electric force shooting her backwards and she breathed out a quiet sigh. Her mind raced as Allura and Keith bordered bickering about what to do.

"Are you alright?" Mavis' eyes shot up in surprise to find Keith's face only a barrier away. His eyes focused on her intently, dipping down once as if to assess her condition for himself and a wry smile touched Mavis' lips.

"No better than before," her eyes flickered back to the eerie hallway glowing a deep violet and her eyes narrowed. "But Shiro and Lance aren't." _They need my help._

" _Keith, can you hear me?"_ Pidge's voice echoed off Mavis' wrists and her eyes widened as she glanced down to her communicator.

"Pidge?"

" _Mav? Oh, thank goodness,"_ a bit of relief flooded Pidge's voice. _"I saw what happened to Shiro and when I didn't see you I thought..."_

"Alive and kicking," Mavis smiled.

"Where are you?" Keith quickly questioned.

" _I'm inside the castle. Sendak's taken over and he's preparing for launch._ "

"Pidge, listen, if they've started the launch sequence then we don't have much time before liftoff to stop it." Allura said, a moment of silence before Pidge responded.

" _What do I have to do?_ "

"You have to get down to the main engine control panel and disconnect the primary turbine from the main energy chamber. If you do that, Sendak will have to reset the whole system." Allura explained. "That might give us enough time to find a way to stop them."

"Sounds promising," Mavis mused, fear beginning to gnaw at her as her mind slowly began to settle on what it was she needed to do.

" _Alright, I'm on it._ " Pidge's communicator _clicked_ into silence and the three of them stood, the violet particle barrier humming between them.

"I'm going back in."

" _What_?" Keith's attention quickly snapped to Mavis and Allura looked up sharply. "You mean back in _there_? Mavis, that's crazy!"

"If I don't get caught it's not," Mavis mused, her eyes landed on Allura, knowing full well her appeal would make more sense to her first. "Shiro and Lance are hurt, Lance won't hold up unless I get my proper equipment to him and keep him stable. Shiro took a beating too and I can't just leave the two of them at the mercy of Sendak."

"How do you plan on helping them?" Allura questioned, brows furrowing and Mavis bit her lip.

"If Pidge is shutting down the main engine and they have control of the castle, there's no doubt they'll spot her." Mavis flexed her fingers. "I'll find a way to create a distraction and see if I can draw them away from the control room and find where Lance and Shiro are."

"And then what?" Allura prompted.

"And then you guys should be there to save the day," Mavis grinned, taking a step back when Keith's fist connected with the barrier, the jolt of electricity shooting out nearly knocking him back but he kept at it.

"It's not safe!" Keith snapped. "You should stay here with us where—"

"Where what?" Mavis gestured to the barrier between them. "Where I wait here for Sendak to spot me and send his sentinels after me and you guys get a front row show?"

"Mavis, Sendak is a trained soldier, they all are—there's no way you'll stand a chance—"

"I know I can't do much," Mavis murmured quietly, and Keith quickly looked as though he wanted to take his words back, mind racing to find the right way to say what he wanted to say. "But if I can just do _something_ , well, that's better than nothing right?"

"You _must_ stay safe," Allura said quietly, meeting Mavis' eyes with her own. "No matter what."

"Allura!" Keith snarled, eyes darting from her to Allura and he angrily slammed his fist once more against the barrier. "Mavis, listen, you—"

" _Keith_ ," Allura said, voice laced with a command and Keith whirled around to face her.

"Have a little faith guys," Mavis took this as her cue and without a single glance back she shot for the hallway. "I'm not just here to look pretty, you know."

" _No confrontation,_ " Keith's voice snapped from her wrists. " _Okay?_ "

"You know, I'm not the one that dropped out."

" _Mavis_." The simple utterance of her name spoke volumes and she knew even if Keith wasn't the type to start off with a speech, she could hear—or at least she'd like to think she heard—the meaning beneath her name.

 _Stay safe._

 _Wouldn't want anything else._ Mavis narrowed her eyes and shot forward, plunging head first into the darkness.

* * *

And now here she was, stuck in an Altean broom closet—or maybe it was just a storage room? Well, _whatever_ it was, Mavis made a mental note to tell Coran and Allura to consider installing nightlights into these damn things.

 _There's light just outside this door._ Mavis reminded herself. _If you step outside, there's light. Don't panic. Don't panic._

Her plan for a distraction had actually worked out surprisingly well, despite everything. She'd had Allura direct her to the nearest circuit panel and wiring several wires to other wires that didn't belong, she'd given the entire thing a good ol' smack and barely managed to jump out of the way as it exploded. She ducked where Allura pointed there would be surveillance cameras and _just_ managed to slip by a few sentinels running past to investigate the explosion, ignoring Keith's constant reminders to stay hidden and his sharp commands.

" _Mavis, are you there?_ " Pidge's soft voice hummed through her wrists and Mavis brought the communicator closer.

"Here," Mavis murmured. "Looks like the sentinels are in my area, you should be clear to go."

" _Main engine's already been shut off,_ " Pidge began with obvious pride in her voice. She quieted for a moment and then spoke up once more. " _Are you alright?_ "

"For now," Mavis peered around the corner of the door and slowly slipped out, staying low to the ground and close to the walls. "Have I ever told you guys how much I always hated those scary movies when people get inside your house? Or those scenes where they burn down a homebase or destroy headquarters, I _hate_ that stuff."

" _You're rambling,_ " Pidge pointed out before continuing. " _Why do you hate them?_ "

"They just rub me the wrong way," Mavis admitted, trying to keep her breathing even as she let her fingers trail along the violet glow through the walls. _It's not that dark._ "Don't like the idea of people in my home, home is supposed to be safe."

" _I was going to leave,"_ Pidge said quietly. _"The pod I had ready, I was going to follow a lead and find my family._ "

Mavis froze, slumping down against the wall as she stared at nothing before her. " _You_ were going to leave?"

" _Why so surprised?_ "

"It's just that…" Mavis shook her head. "Out of everyone, even considering Keith's emo-like characteristics, you just… I guess I can't imagine this team functioning without you."

" _Maybe you could pilot Green,_ " Pidge joked, but Mavis could hear the uncertainty in her own voice. " _You could be a good Paladin._ "

"If I was supposed to be one Allura would've picked me the day we arrived," Mavis shook her head, even though Pidge couldn't see. "I know how much your family means to you, but just don't forget… You were chosen to be a part of something amazing, and I know that wasn't a mistake."

 _Besides,_ Mavis added silently. _If anyone's meant to leave it should be me._

" _...Thanks, Mav._ "

"Always, buddy."

A sharp explosion echoed over the radio and Mavis jumped, eyes snapping to her communicator as Pidge let out a cry of surprise. "Pidge?"

" _Give me a minute, got some robots to fry. I'll come back when I get the central command offline!_ "

"Wait, tell me how I can—" Mavis stopped when her communicator blinked, static echoing from her wrists and she slumped, resting her head against the wall. "...help."

 _Think, Mav, come on._ Mavis shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. _There has to be something you can do._

" _No confrontation."_

Mavis' eyes snapped open and she stood, a hand going for her first aid kit as her eyes narrowed.

It was time to do her job.

* * *

Her grandfather had always told her that when her mother was pregnant with her, all sorts of odd catastrophes seemed to follow them. "You were such a bother," he used to tease. "Always causing trouble for others but never for the ones that really mattered."

 _Bad luck._ Her dad used to say. _Nothing but bad luck with you._

Mavis liked to think now that maybe that bad luck could come in handy.

A bottle of rubbing alcohol sat nestled in the palm of her hand, a strip of gauze hanging from the top of the bottle as she held a lighter in her other hand. She'd switched her communicators off a few minutes ago in case anyone tried to contact her, since with Sendak shouting obscenities into the console, she figured Pidge was giving him a hard enough time as it was.

 _Think like Shiro._ Mavis chanted. _Think like Shiro. Just give me a percent of what he can do to make this work. What even_ am _I trying to do? Light Sendak on fire?_

Mavis grimaced, glancing to the bottle in her hand and back to the Galra general. _Worth a shot._

Lance and Shiro were pressed off to the side, beaten and battered and _hurt_. Her hand gripped the bottle tighter and she inhaled and exhaled, flicking the lighter on and letting it touch the gauze.

Heat ignited in her palm and she saw Sendak freeze as smoke began to fill the air. He whirled around, a snarl plastered over his lips and Mavis reeled her arm back and tossed the bottle as hard as she could. Glass shattered and she shot forward as Sendak let out a roar of pain, flames igniting along his back and racing across his armor. Mavis slid to her knees, scrambling to get Lance's arm over her shoulder as Shiro's eyes flickered open. "Mavis?"

"The one and only," Mavis grinned, rising to stand as she hauled Lance up. "C'mon, we don't have much time—"

"Mavis, look out!"

Claws curled around her abdomen and Mavis felt air rush from her lungs as she was tugged aside and thrown through the air. Her back collided with metal and Mavis wheezed, coughing at the impact and struggling to stand as Sendak stepped over Lance's body and shoved a struggling Shiro aside, snarling at her. "You think such petty tricks would win this war?"

"Worth...a shot," Mavis spat, bracing herself on her arms and Sendak came to a halt above her, lips pulled back in a sneer.

"So weak," he snarled. "Like insects."

"Then try to squash this!"

Mavis' eyes went wide and her head shot up as a green cable shot across the room and slammed into the side of Sendak's head. The general roared, whipping around as Pidge shot down the corridor and he shot after her. Mavis braced herself on her hands and managed to rise, quickly hobbling over to Lance and Shiro when suddenly another body was at her side and she glanced down. "Pidge?"

"Hologram," she answered simply, helping Mavis down as she came to crouch beside Shiro.

"Gotta teach me that sometime," Mavis mused, but her eyes zeroed in on Lance and Shiro and assessed their injuries. "Allura and Keith should be on their way—"

Pidge let out a cry, metal claws closing around her and jerking her back. Mavis whirled around. "Pidge!"

"I'm tired of these petty tricks," Sendak snarled, claws closing tighter around Pidge as she struggled.

"Let her go!" Mavis stood, bracing herself and Sendak's glowing eye narrowed at her.

"What can you do? You think _you_ can take me down?"

"She won't have to." Mavis' eyes snapped to the entrance of the room where Keith and Allura skidded to a halt, Keith's eyes narrowed as he gripped his sword and Sendak growled, gripping Pidge tighter.

"Stand back—argh!" A blast of heat shot past her and Mavis turned, eyes wide as Lance shakily held up his gun and slumped, bayard returning to its original form as Shiro lunged forward.

Sendak drew his arm back and slammed it into Shiro. Mavis lunged forward, ducking a metal claw and kneeling beside Lance. "Hang in there, buddy. I'm right here."

"Not to... shabby... right?" Lance managed, eyes fluttering open as he turned to look at her and Mavis smiled, eyes warm as she began to rub a healing salve onto her fingers.

"Like a knight in shining armor." She praised, eyes snapping to the side where Keith shot forward, bringing his sword down on Sendak's arm and the general shoved him aside. _Please. Please. Please._

Sendak snatched Keith, Mavis' heart seizing in her chest as he tossed the Red Paladin across the room. Pidge shot forward with a cry, swiping her bayard upwards and disconnecting the metal arm. "No!" He swung at Pidge, knocking her aside and Keith darted back in, matching him blow for blow.

A vibrant green shot across the room and Allura was at her side, eyes meeting Mavis' for a split second. Allura's eyes shone with pride before she was at the console, tapping away at the screen as electricity filled the air and Sendak roared in pain. Keith shouted, sword swinging wide and Sendak gripped it in his hand, the two struggling against each other for a chance to break through and Allura swung her head around. "Keith, now!"

Blue curved in an arch along the floor and Keith rocked back on his heels, slamming his feet into Sendak's chest as he knocked the general backward and propelled himself across. A particle barrier rose upwards, locking Sendak inside with the Galran crystal and Mavis froze, hands pausing over Lance's chest.

And just like that it was over.

A breath Mavis didn't know she'd been holding escaped her lips. Allura quickly began to get to work with rerouting the castle's energy and getting it converted back to Altean specifics. Pidge came over and quickly helped Shiro from his bonds, and Mavis jumped as a body pressed against her side, a red clad arm reaching past her to help Lance up. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Mavis murmured, dazed for a moment before her eyes turned back to her hands, covered in salve and ash and dust. "Just got caught off guard." _This is what it's like from now on._

A hand suddenly fisted itself into her collar and Mavis yelped, stumbling when Keith jerked her around to face him, eyes blazing furiously as he gripped her tight. "Don't ever try anything like that again, got it?"

"Y-Yessir," Mavis stuttered, caught by surprise at the unexpected fury that lined Keith's features. His gaze softened and he released his hold, palm smoothing flat over her collar and his fingers resting on the edge of her neck.

 _Just glad you're okay._

"You alright, Lance?" Keith helped Mavis lift Lance up, and the Blue Paladin gazed up at them wearily, a smile touching his lips.

"We make a pretty good team after all, huh?"

A smile touched Keith's lips and Mavis quietly retracted her hands, sitting back on her heels and feeling a dull buzz in the back of her head.

 _Did I even do anything?_

* * *

 _One day in this._ Mavis rested her head on her knees, staring hard at Lance's unconscious form within the healing pod. _That's all he needs._

 _All any of them need._

Mavis swallowed, eyes drifting downwards and she let them flutter shut as her shoulders slumped. _Maybe I'm the one who should be thinking about leaving after all._

The room containing the rest of the pods suddenly became enveloped in darkness and Mavis jolted, scrambling to her feet as her heart leapt into her throat. Her hands fumbled for her tool belt, searching for a light of some kind as her faced paled and her fingers began to stumble over themselves. _Light. Light. Light. Is something happening? Why is it dark—_

Light suddenly filled the room, sharp and wonderful. Mavis' head jerked up and Shiro's startled gaze met her own, his hand resting on one of the control consoles and Mavis froze. "S-Shiro?"

"Just wanted to be sure," Shiro said, eyes apologetic as he reached a hand down to help her up. "You're afraid of the dark, aren't you?"

"Just a little thing," Mavis lied, taking his hand and standing on shaky legs. "Everyone's afraid of something."

"We're a team now," Shiro said softly. "We don't keep things like this from the team. It's information like this that can help everyone out in case things happen."

"I know," Mavis said. "But it's stuff like this that's going to get in everyone's way."

"You did great today," Shiro said. His hand came to rest on Mavis' shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. The look he gave her left no room for argument despite Mavis' eyes trailing over to the healing pod housing her friend. "If it weren't for you, he might've not made it when Hunk and Coran came back."

"Got it," Mavis allowed a small smile to touch her lips, willing to take a bit of what Shiro was offering her. "Thanks Shiro."

Shiro's eyes softened and he dropped his hand. A sudden thought struck Mavis and she added, with a bit of a tease, "Tell Keith to lighten up a bit, would you? That guy's ferocious."

Shiro looked confused for a brief moment before a thoughtful look settled over his features. A smile touched his lips and he turned on his heel, shrugging a shoulder in such a casual show of nonchalance. "I think you two can work something out."

He threw her a final grin over his shoulder and Mavis halted, heart picking up a bit in speed at the expression. "Try not to set anyone on fire though, alright?"

"Y-Yessir."

* * *

 **I have so many feelings about season 5 I can't even right now. Someone talk Voltron to me so I don't go crazy.**

 **SEASON SIX IN JUNE THOUGH GUYS WE HAVE HOPE.**

 **Promise this story won't take that long to update next time though ;) I'm shooting to try and update this one every two weeks so have hope and stay strong! Thank you all so much for all the huge support and for everyone who's giving this story a chance. Writing it is so much fun, but having people who love to read it makes it all the more worthwhile.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Marshmellow-**

 **-OUT!**


	4. Idiot

**When you wanted to update before the new season but you failed and you remember why getting involved in multiple fandoms becomes a conundrum because you end up wanting to write for every single god damn one.**

 **It wasn't two weeks but we got one guys :')**

 **SEASON SIX.**

 **HAS ME** _ **SHOOK.**_

 **I do not own Voltron.**

* * *

Of the Stars and You

Chapter Four:

Idiot

* * *

In which Allura makes a castle fly, Mavis discovers something interesting, Keith and Lance bond over more than just a moment, and Hunk kind of wants to smack someone.

* * *

Mavis honestly believed herself to be a patient person, she really did.

But when it came to one of the few friends she had—one of the _best_ friends she had, it was only reasonable she'd have a bit of a shorter fuse.

"Mavis, you've been staked out by his pod and haven't left since he was put in there— _you need to rest._ "

"I'm not going anywhere," Mavis snorted, back pressed determinedly against Lance's healing pod as she burrowed deeper into the blankets she'd pleaded with Hunk to bring to her. A pillow and several supplies and an empty plate of food goo sat at her side and she narrowed her eyes at the people gathered in front of her.

Pidge ran a hand through her hair in frustration, letting out a groan and Hunk twiddled with his fingers, looking uncertain but agreeing with Pidge's sentiments. "You know, sitting there is nice and all, but it's not going to make it go faster."

"Don't care," Mavis huffed. "I'm staying. What if his stats drop? Who's going to know if one of these pods has a malfunction or break down or run out of energy—"

"Won't run out of energy," Hunk promised. "Went through _way_ to much trouble to get that crystal. Energy is good to go."

"What if it breaks?" Mavis said quickly. "We'd have no idea! We don't know if there are alarms or anything to go off to let us know and I don't know how healed Lance is yet—I want to be there for him when he wakes up."

Toward the back of the room Keith had his back pressed to the wall, watching the entire exchange with sharp eyes in silence. Pidge let out an annoyed groan and shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "The last time you showered was right after we put Sendak in a crystal— _you need to sleep._ "

"Slept plenty," Mavis said stubbornly. "Pulled all-nighters all the time in the Garrison. _You're_ one to talk Pidge."

Hunk sighed. "Mav, we're all worried about Lance too, but he's going to be okay, alright? You don't need to tire yourself out over something like this. We have to trust Allura and Coran—they know what they're doing."

Mavis frowned. Since the attack on the castle, Mavis had taken it upon herself to remain rooted to Lance's unconscious side until he woke up. At first no one had really noticed she'd been literally staying _in the same place_ for hours on end until Pidge put all the pieces together and grabbed Hunk to try and convince their medic to take care of herself. She'd been holed up with limited sleep, piles of blankets for comfort and warmth, and occasionally the mice for company.

"I'm staying right here," Mavis said, leaving no room for argument as she flashed them all a dark look.

Pidge gave Hunk a side eye and Mavis burrowed deeper into her blankets, pressing flat against Lance's healing pod. "Hunk, if you try and move me, I _will_ fight you."

Hunk immediately took a step back, holding his palms out in a warding off gesture. Pidge narrowed her eyes, amber gaze fiercely clashing with Mavis' determined stare. Minutes ticked past and finally Pidge threw her hands into the air. "I'm getting Shiro."

Mavis paled slightly at that but remained rooted to her spot. It'd take a good few minutes for them to get Shiro anyways and she was pretty sure she could come up with some kind of countermeasure at that point. Mavis cocooned herself into the blankets and Pidge and Hunk made their way out of the room, the doors _swooshing_ behind them as they parted.

Mavis waited a beat and then slumped, lids instantly drooping and head lolling to the side a bit as she sighed, trying to find a comfortable position for her head to lean on. _C'mon buddy, just wake up already._

Her eyes drifted up to Lance's peaceful face and she grimaced. "I'm right here, Lance."

"It won't help if you're beat when he wakes up," Keith's voice spoke up from across the room and Mavis nearly screamed.

With her sleep deprived mind however, all she could manage was a sluggish turn of her head and furrowed brows as Keith sighed, stepping from his position against the wall and making his way toward her. _Shoot, I forgot about him._ Mavis narrowed her eyes, ready to defend her position because fighting threats were not as effective on Keith as they were on Hunk—Keith could probably take her down with one hand after all. She doubted she posed much of a threat anyway with blankets curled tight around her like cotton armor—she wasn't sure what it was made out of to be honest, some kind of Altean fabric but it sure felt nice—and did her best to look as threatening as possible.

Keith rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he stopped inches from her. The edge of his shoes stopped before her sock clad feet and he looked down at her.

"...what?" Mavis questioned, albeit defensively.

"...you should rest," Keith said finally. His voice had a surprisingly soft tone to it and Mavis paused, peering up at him curiously through her dirty paint water hair— _she needed to stop calling it that—_ blinking wide, tired eyes at him.

"...what?" She tried again, wondering if she'd misheard Keith somehow.

The Red Paladin rubbed the back of his head, fingers sifting through dark locks. He squatted down to gaze eye level with her—which wasn't really eye level because he was still a bit taller than her but who was checking. Mavis narrowed her eyes further, watching him suspiciously.

Annoyance flickered over Keith's face, but there was a look in his eyes she couldn't really figure out. Mavis blamed her poor excuse of cognition skills on the lack of sleep but instead Keith rested his arms on his knees, meeting her gaze evenly.

"You should get some rest," he tried again, voice still having that strange softness she'd never heard before. _No, that's wrong._ He talked to her the way he'd said Shiro's name that night he found him strapped to the table, the night they'd all met. _What's the word for that? Warm? No, that's not it._

"...am I already sleeping?" Mavis wondered aloud, staring at Keith as if he were some kind of mirage. "The Keith I know would've smacked my head and told me I was an idiot for doing something like this—where's my Keith?"

The corners of his lips tugged into a half smile. Mavis rubbed her tired eyes to make sure she wasn't imagining it and Keith fixed her with a look that really _was_ annoyed this time. "You know I'm not a jerk, right? I only yell at you because you deserve it."

"Do not."

"And you're ridiculously stubborn."

"You're stubborn, Dropout."

"And you're kind of an idiot sometimes."

"I meant it," Mavis warned. "When I said I'd fight you guys if you tried to move me."

"We're all worried about him," Keith promised, and Mavis never realized what a nice timbre his voice had till now. It was low, smooth with a rugged edge to it. Different from the way Lance talked in a tone that flowed so soundlessly like water. "I'm impatient too, but being tired the moment he steps out and might need assistance isn't going to help."

Mavis snorted. Her head lolled to the side and Keith watched curiously as her eyes fluttered and a bit of a smile curled up on her lips. "Alright, Hotshot, I'll bite."

Mavis' head slumped over and she began to slide off the rounded curve of the healing pod. Keith quickly lurched forward, the palm of his hand barely managing to catch the side of her head from smashing against the floor as he breathed out a sigh of relief. He slowly lowered Mavis' head, awkwardly finding his hand trapped beneath it and not sure whether or not to move it or try and adjust the blanket to act as a pillow too.

Mavis sluggishly nestled her head into his palm, making herself comfortable and Keith froze. He shifted, trying to make himself more comfortable as a heavy sigh left his lips.

"You know," Mavis mumbled sleepily and Keith turned his head down to her as she let out a stifled yawn. "You sounded just like Shiro...just now."

"...yeah?" Keith said softly. "I'm no Shiro, you know... Nothing like him."

"I know," Mavis yawned. "You're Keith... the hothead."

Keith grumbled something under his breath, resting his back against Lance's pod and letting his free hand rest in his lap. "Go to sleep, idiot."

The room fell silent, the only sound the soft, lulling beep of Lance's pod and Keith let out a sigh, looking up at the pristine ceiling above them.

"You're the one who makes it harder than it needs to be."

* * *

"I can't tell if he looks healthy or not."

"I think he's breathing funny."

"Guys, _quiet._ And come on, let's just open it—"

"Not yet! A few more ticks!"

"How much better do you think he's going to get in a few more ticks?"

Mavis' brows furrowed. A low groan left her lips and she sluggishly tried to open her eyes. A blindingly bright light met her gaze and she quickly shut them, bringing her hands up to rub at her face as she yawned. "What's everyone doin' in my room?"

She felt several eyes trained on her and Mavis peered through the gaps in her fingers, sluggishly rising up from the mess of blankets around her. She wiped the corner of her mouth to make sure she didn't drool in her sleep and peered in a confused daze at the gathering of people in front of her. "Is something wrong?"

"Ah, you just made it in time!" Coran said cheerfully. "Lance is about to wake up from the pod and we've all gathered to greet him!"

It took Mavis several seconds to understand what Coran had just said and she shot to her feet. The blankets around her tangled through her legs and she let out a gargled screech, toppling back to the floor and everyone winced at the collision. Shiro rubbed the back of his head, looking apologetic as he reached a hand to help her up. "Sorry we woke you. You looked so tired we'd figured it'd be alright to let you sleep a bit longer and wake you up when Lance did."

"How long was I out?" Mavis demanded, struggling to her feet and quickly gathering up her tousled locks into one hand. She struggled to fix it into a bun on top of her head and she whipped her gaze around. "Is he okay? Did anything change—"

"He should be good to go in a few ticks," Allura promised, smiling warmly. "Glad to see that you finally got some rest, Mavis."

"You looked really peaceful," Hunk piped up. "All wrapped up like a burrito."

"Very cute," Pidge snickered.

Mavis made a grab at the girl and she danced out of reach. Mavis' eyes skimmed the room and landed on a faintly bemused looking Keith, arms crossed over his chest and she narrowed her eyes. " _You._ "

Keith stopped, looking startled as his gaze returned her glare and Mavis huffed. "I trusted you—never falling asleep again, I swear..."

"What are you talking about?" Keith exclaimed, looking scandalized and he marched up to her, brows furrowing. "You were tired so I let you sleep! You agreed—"

"But you were supposed to wake me up!"

"You never said—"

"It was implied!"

"Alright guys, what matters is that everyone's up now and we can all greet Lance properly," Shiro intervened. Mavis huffed and Keith looked ready to tug his hair out as Coran nodded, stroking his mustache.

"Just a few more ticks and we'll be good to go!"

"...what exactly _is_ a tick?" Pidge questioned, brows furrowing and Allura blinked.

"You know, a time slice."

"Like a second?" Shiro offered.

"What is a 'second'?" Allura questioned.

Mavis flashed the Altean princess a startled look and Pidge fished through her pocket, pulling out her phone and holding the digital screen for Allura to see. "Like this!"

Numbers ticked across the screen. Mavis tried to straighten out her appearance, Hunk helping her get her hair in order and Allura's brows furrowed in thought. "I'm not sure. I think ticks are bigger. Coran, do you have a ticker?"

"Right here, princess."

Coran brandished his own device. Four symbols stood on the screen, one flashing occasionally and then moving on to the next one. Everyone frowned, eyes trained hard between the earth clock and the Altean ticker. Hunk peered over Pidge's shoulder. "I think ticks are a little slower."

"I can't tell," Pidge said. "We have to start them at the same time."

Keith and Mavis headed over as well, mildly curious to see if the concept of time matched up with a civilization thousands of years ahead of their own technology. She flashed him a dirty look when they both neared at the same time and Keith's mouth parted to protest, but Hunk slapped a hand over Mavis' head and turned her attention toward the clocks. Coran and Pidge readied both their devices. "Okay, ready...go!"

The numbers and lights began to flash on either screen. Mavis' eyes darted between them, never really one for math anyway and already feeling her head begin to strain at trying to figure out what was faster. Hunk suddenly looked eager, eyes growing bright. "I think we're winning!"

"Winning what?" Keith questioned. "The intergalactic time-measuring competition?"

"Yes," Hunk defended.

Soft beeping filled the room and Mavis suddenly froze when a familiar scent washed over her, warmth appearing at her side as a head brushed slightly against hers before slumping onto her shoulder. "You guys having a clock party?"

Mavis whirled around, eyes brightening as her arms instantly went tight around Lance's neck. Her heart soared in her chest and she felt a smile tear fiercely onto her lips. "Lance!"

Hunk sighed, looking up in faint annoyance. "Lance, you just ruined it— _Lance_!"

Hunk's arms went tight around Mavis and Lance as well. Mavis buried her face into her friend's chest, a wave of relief washing over her as she felt his heart thumping steadily in his chest. Lance sluggishly peered over the top of her head, arm coming up to wrap around her shoulder as Hunk steadied him and he blinked sluggishly at all of them. "What...happened?"

"I'm so glad you're okay," Mavis mumbled, hands gripping the cloth of his suit tight and Lance wearily turned down to look at her, hands absently stroking her hair in a soothing gesture. "Don't scare us like that, you idiot."

"Scare?" Lance mumbled, accidentally undoing her bun and he let his fingers tangle in her hair, half lidded eyes looking up curiously. "I've got this weird feeling I did somethin' right."

"We can tell you all about it while you get something to eat," Allura promised, setting a hand on Lance's shoulder. "Are you able to walk?"

"Talking? Eating?" A coy smile curled on Lance's lips as he peered up at Allura. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Allura sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. Everyone else murmured their agreements that Lance seemed perfectly fine after all but Mavis merely laughed into his chest, beaming with a wide smile stretched across her lips.

"Good to have you back, buddy."

* * *

"You'd be Sendak's prisoner right now if not for Pidge." Allura finished.

All of them were gathered in the dining hall around Lance. Mavis was perched on the table, sitting cross legged as she made sure Lance was able to eat properly and no side effects remained from his prior injuries. Keith was beside her, legs dangling over the edge of the table with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, you wouldn't have survived the explosion if not for Hunk and Coran getting the crystal," Pidge added.

"And who knows what would've happened if Mavis hadn't given you first aid," Shiro added, setting a hand on Mavis' shoulder and she rubbed the back of her neck, unable to help the pleased grin that touched her lips.

"My own personal nurse?" Lance teased and Hunk snorted.

"Wouldn't leave your side for a second—"

"Just glad you're okay," Mavis cut in, patting the top of her friend's head and Lance smiled, eyes warm.

"Thanks, everybody." His eyes strayed to Keith and he blinked. "Sounds like the mice did more than you, though."

"I punched Sendak!" Keith protested, looking incredulous as Lance frowned.

" _Yeah_ , apparently after I emerged from a coma and shot his arm off."

"We had a bonding moment," Keith exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "I cradled you in my arms!"

" _Nope_ , don't remember, didn't happen," Lance shook his head and Mavis couldn't help the laugh that spilled from her lips, offering Keith a pat on the back. "So...what happened to Sendak?"

Allura's brows creased, ever so slightly. "He's frozen in a cryo-pod. We're keeping him here in the castle."

Mavis rubbed her arm, glancing away at Allura's words. Lance's brows knitted together and he glanced up. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"He's too dangerous to be set free," Allura said. "Besides, we might be able to get some information about Zarkon from him."

Lance nodded, bringing a hand up to his chin as he peered up at his teammates. "So... what's the plan now then?"

"We have to get back to the Balmera and save Shay and her people," Hunk quickly answered.

Mavis idly shoved the dish of food goo Lance was no longer eating toward one of the mice and it danced in joy, quickly lunging into the pile of green. Lance whistled. "Wow, you are _really_ hung up on this lady."

"No, that's not it," Hunk shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "Look, guys—when you see how Zarkon has treated these people and destroyed their home... They've been under his thumb for so long, they don't even remember what it is to be free."

Hunk's words settled heavily over all of them. Mavis' eyes drifted to the people around her, her gaze traveling down to her own hands and she experimentally flexed her fingers, the mice around her weaving around and settling comfortably in her palm. "It's up to us to set this right. This is what being a Paladin is all about—it's time to man up."

The mice squeaked something out, glancing to Mavis and then to Pidge and Hunk stopped, glancing back to Mavis. "Or woman up."

"Point made," Mavis offered with a small smile. "You're right Hunk... We're a part of something a lot bigger than ourselves now."

Mavis idly nudged one of the mice off and ran a hand through her hair. _I'll make myself useful however I can._

"Then let's get moving," Shiro agreed, moving from his position by the chair and making his way toward the exit. Keith stood up, following after and everyone began to move save for Lance and Pidge. "Time to go defend the universe."

Mavis waited by Lance's side, making sure he was good to go and her friend grinned, ruffling the top of her head affectionately. Pidge stood, gazing down at her hands for a moment before she turned around to face her team. "Wait, I have something to say first. I... I need to come clean."

Mavis' eyes flickered to Pidge in surprise. Pidge clasped her hands together, looking uncertain for only a moment before she swept on. "I'm afraid this might change the way you all think about me. But just so there are no secrets between us anymore... I can't 'man up'... I'm a girl."

Pidge's words hung in the air for a moment and Mavis blinked in realization. A small smile tugged on her lips, glad Pidge—steady, fierce Pidge was thinking it was finally right to make sure they all knew each other inside and out. "I mean, I can _man up_ because that's just a figure of speech. I don't actually have to be a man to _man up._ I just have to be tough. But, what I'm saying is—"

"You're a _girl_?" Lance exclaimed, disbelief and shock coloring his face as he nearly toppled over, looking as though someone had slapped him across the face and told him he was bald. " _How_?"

Mavis snorted. " _How_?"

Allura smiled, a reassuring look on her face. "I've known for some time, but I'm glad you've shared it with everyone."

"Yeah, I figured." Hunk admitted.

"Me too," Keith added.

"We were supposed to think you were a _boy_?" Coran wondered, looking mystified by the very idea and Shiro smiled, eyes soft.

"Pidge, owning who you are is going to make you a better Paladin."

Pidge let out a soft sigh of relief. "It's good to get that off my chest."

"It's important we all know each other enough to trust everyone with anything we think is important," Shiro said. Mavis' eyes dipped to the side, ignoring the way his gaze swept over her mindfully. "Anything anyone may ever feel or think... Just remember we're all here for each other."

"When did _you_ know?" Lance squawked, looking at Mavis in horror and she blinked.

"Shower rooms at the Garrison. Hard to miss."

"Now, let's launch this castle-ship!" Pidge declared.

"The castle's a ship?" Lance exclaimed, the poor Paladin looked ready to smash his head into a wall and he gripped his head in his hands. "How long was I out?"

Mavis rubbed his back reassuringly. _Good to have you back._

* * *

"I can't believe we're _actually_ flying," Mavis breathed out in awe, pressing her face to the glass interior of the ship that allowed for a crystal clear view of the endless expanse before them. " _In space_ —is anyone else freaking out about this?"

"Mav, we were studying to be explorers _in_ space," Lance reminded, looking up from where he leaned over a few steps and Hunk was pacing furiously around them.

"Flight simulations," Keith agreed. "Remember?"

Mavis was still trying to get over the fact that the castle, previously stationed to a hunk of earth had now morphed into an elite, sleek flyer. Sure, geeking out over technology was more Pidge's area, but seeing the control room turn into something completely different, seeing the stars shift around them—it was different from the view on the planet. The gentle blue light glowing around Allura as she navigated the entire castle was still blowing her mind and the sheer _intensity_ of what they were facing and seeing was finally starting to gnaw on her.

"But it's _different,_ " Mavis stressed. "I had to take all those med classes—they only let me learn piloting because it was mandatory."

"Plus, we were flying through space in the Blue Lion," Pidge reminded.

"That was for a couple minutes," Mavis protested, she whirled around, ponytail nearly slapping her face as she called over to Allura and Coran. "You guys, this is _amazing_!"

"Why thank you," Allura responded. "It is rather astonishing, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes, castle can fly—it's awesome," Hunk agreed hurriedly, looking anxious as he rubbed his chin and continued to pace around the control room. "How are we going to do this? Blasting? When we get there do we just start blasting? Or do we land and say 'Attention, Galras, this is Voltron. Turn yourselves in?' No. Blasting, right?"

"Hunk, calm down," Keith appeased, motioning his hands for Hunk to settle back at bit. "And yes, blasting."

"We can't just blast away," Mavis protested, finally making her way over to them after staring out the windows and taking a seat by Keith's feet and beside Lance. "What if we hurt someone?"

"You think that Galra aren't going to try to hurt us?" Keith retorted.

"Fight me, Mullet—"

"It's our first big rescue mission," Shiro said. "I'm sure everyone's excited, including Hunk."

Mavis scrunched up her nose and turned away. Keith looked momentarily frustrated, crossing his arms over his chest before he turned with a grumble as well.

"Excited to see his new _girlfriend_ ," Pidge teased, tipping her head back to wink at Hunk.

"I—she is not my girlfriend!" Hunk protested, looking offended. "She's just a... rock that I met, and I happen to admire her a lot."

"Still, this is kind of crazy," Lance admitted, looking down at his hands. "We've been fighting those crazy robots and now we're finally bringing the fight to _them_. This is how it all starts, huh?"

Mavis nodded idly. Her fingers skimmed over the pouch at her side and the metal box she'd attached to her hip as a makeshift first aid kit. There was a bag Allura had customized to fit to her costume and attach to her back that could hold more supplies, but she kept that tucked away until it was time to land. _"I feel like it'd be best to have you here ready to deploy once we find out if there are any injured."_ Allura had said. _"But perhaps heading out with them may be better in case people need immediate help..."_

A loud alarm sounded off and they all froze, looking up sharply in surprise as the lights around them began to flash. Allura's brows furrowed and she turned to the monitor. Shiro turned, "What is it? Are we being attacked?"

"No, it seems to be a distress beacon," Coran relayed, fingers moving nimbly over his screen as he pulled up where a red symbol was blaring up on his monitor.

"It's coming from a nearby moon," Allura said. "Apparently a ship has lost power."

"Are they hurt?" Mavis inquired, brows furrowing and Allura shook her head.

"I'm not sure."

"I wonder who it is," Pidge questioned, looking curious and Hunk quickly marched forward, shaking his head.

"Well, whoever it is has to wait. Shay has first priority." He set his hands on his hips. "We can check back on them when we're done."

"The Paladin Code states that we must help _all_ those in need," Allura spoke up sternly.

Hunk glowered, crossing his arms over his chest and Mavis offered him a small pat on the back. Lance shot up from his seat, eyes brightening. "This is so cool! It's like we're space cops on space patrol. Coran, do we have a siren we can turn on?"

Coran looked thoughtful. "...no, but we could record you making siren _noises_ and broadcast that to them."

"And let the enemy know we're coming? Yeah, no," Keith muttered.

His eyes drifted to where Mavis halted, hands cupped around her lips beside Lance to help make the noises. Her hands instantly dropped to her sides and she flushed, rubbing the back of her head and he let out a sigh, deflating slightly.

"I got this guys," Lance cupped his hands regardless, the beginnings of a siren leaving his lips when Shiro promptly slapped his hand over his mouth.

"Nope. Not doing that."

"We'll see what kind of assistance they need and whether we can be of any help," Allura said firmly. "There's a large list of planets waiting for our help, and it counts to do whatever we can, when we can."

 _Whatever we can, when we can._ Mavis let the words ring in her mind as Allura and Coran shifted the ship and prepared to land from where the distress beacon had been casted. _This is how it goes now._

She'd always wanted to be useful—whether in space or on earth, she wasn't about to split any hairs.

* * *

"Hunk, you're one of the most easygoing guys I know—but if you keep that face up, I'm pretty sure it'll freeze like that."

"That's an old wives' tale," Hunk said roughly, "I've heard it before."

Mavis made a face, lips twisting down into a slight frown as she hefted a heavy metal pipe into her hands. The Altean blue casted a warm glow along her palms and she watched Hunk grumpily sift through the hover-trunk they'd pulled out from the castle onto the abandoned planet the stranded survivors had been found on. Off to the side around the warm glow of a makeshift fire, Allura, Shiro and Keith were speaking with Rolo, one of the resistance fighters against the Galra. Pidge was hanging precariously off their cyber unit Beezer and—

Mavis grimaced. Lance was sidled up to Nyma, the alien resistance fighter giggling attractively as she nodded to whatever Lance was saying. Her newly healed but perfectly active and energetic friend was beaming at every drop of attention Nyma bestowed upon him.

 _Well._ Mavis sighed through her nose, handing Hunk the pipe in her hands as she reached for another and put her focus onto the nice detail of the Altean mechanics in front of her. _Glad he's feeling better._

"Those Altean healing pods are something else," Mavis murmured, the weight of the first aid kits strapped to her hip a little heavier than she remembered. "Having them back on earth would be really useful, huh?"

"I guess so," Hunk said distractedly. He squinted at the heavy metal in his hands and paused, eyes darting up and taking in Mavis' thoughtful expression.

 _The leaders._ Mavis thought idly from where Shiro and Allura and Keith were speaking with Rolo. By the open, attentive looks on their faces, it was most likely to divulge whatever information they could about the current state of the universe. Shiro was their commander and Allura in equal position with Keith as Shiro's shadow. _He knows the ropes despite how he is._

Mavis glanced back to Lance and Pidge. _They take up the sides. Hunk is the rear._

Her grip on the metal piping tightened.

"I mean, but healing pods can't give you that TLC a human doctor can," Hunk added absently and Mavis blinked, glancing back to him. "You know?"

Her heart swelled at her friend from the Garrison and Mavis smiled. She handed Hunks the piping with renewed energy and adjusted the sleeves of her gray Paladin uniform. "Alright, Hunk, let's get this over with so we can go save your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Hunk snapped, cheeks flushing as he roughly moved aside another pipe. "Shay's just a kind and respectable... rock... person... alien and her people need our help."

"What was it like back there?" Mavis questioned.

"Awful," Hunks shook his head. "Bad. Really bad, Mav. I don't even know where to begin... it's like these people don't even know what freedom's _like_ because they've never had it before. They don't even think about fighting back because they don't know they _can._ "

Mavis dragged a finger along the cool metal and handed it to Hunk without a second glance. "Don't know what you're missing if you've never had it... I get that."

Hunks took the pipe firmly, glancing to Mavis for a moment with a slightly wondering look before loud laughter broke through the air. Hunks snapped his head around with a glower and Mavis blinked as Pidge raced across the planet draped over Beezer's head and Shiro said something to Rolo with a smile that had the other nodding in understanding as Keith listened attentively and Allura beamed.

"I'm going to go say something," Hunk said resolutely. "Should I say something? I'm going to say something."

Mavis eyed the dozens of parts gathered together before them and glanced back to Rolo's ship. The hunk of sturdy metal was definitely a little worse for wear but the interior of its mechanics as she and Hunk had discovered seemed well-kept for the most part. _It would go faster though if we had the actual owner's help though._

"I'm sure they're not just chatting about the weather," Mavis said slowly, examining Shiro's thoughtful expression. "Shiro's not the type to waste time—"

"I'm going to say something!" Hunk declared, shooting up from his squat and handing Mavis his tools. "Hold my wrench."

Mavis held her tongue for once, watching warily as Hunk stormed over and seemingly spoke a few choice words. Rolo nodded in understanding, smiling easily as he headed over to where she was and Hunk turned around to speak with Shiro. Keith followed Rolo's path toward the hover-cart of parts, eyeing the resistance fighter the entire time with careful consideration.

"You not the talkative type?" Rolo inquired, appearing by her side as he came to sift through the parts.

Mavis blinked, fingering the wrench Hunk had left her and she threw the man a side glance. "Not really one way or the other. Just trying to help out so we can get you guys on your way. My friend's got someone important waiting for him."

Rolo looked thoughtful, "You know, they said that there's five pilots... But with the Princess and you that's seven—any particular reason?"

Mavis tried not to wince and took the pipe from Rolo's hands. Based on what she'd seen of his ship it wasn't what he needed anyway. "I'm more of a medic. I've been training in first aid and emergency response."

"A doctor," Rolo surmised, nodding with a look of interest. "Could always use more of those around."

Mavis shoulders relaxed slightly. "Are there... are there not a lot of doctors in spa—around here?"

"Not exactly," Rolo reached for another pipe. "You see, some people have got some high tech equipment to help them out and others have to make due." His smile was grim. "We're the bunch that have to make due. It's hard to come across doctors willing to stick their necks out to help heal those fighting the Galra."

 _Makes sense._ Mavis eyed the pipe in his hands and glanced back to where Shiro was speaking with Hunk in hushed whispers. _People who might be in need of healing, huh?_

" _There's nothing left for you here."_

The truth of the matter was that no matter how out of body and interstellar the entire experience seemed—Zarkon existed. Mavis had seen that first hand with the monstrous robots and Sendak's haunting snarl etched into her memory as he threw her across the control as though she were nothing but a ragdoll. Thousands of others—of _people_ and beings out there were suffering a fate far worse than she could probably ever even imagine and they needed help.

 _So help._ Mavis urged herself, moving her fingers across another engine part. It was sturdy and bulky but smooth, Altean teal running along the edges and it warmed beneath her fingers. _Do something._

"Course, there's always rumors about those who are Oathed," Rolo added and Mavis turned. "Haven't heard anything about that in ages. It's about as much of a legend as this Voltron of yours."

"Oathed?" Mavis echoed curiously and Rolo nodded.

"Used to be some kinda thing people did," Rolo explained, turning to her and setting the pipe in his hands down at his side. "Don't know too much about it. Healers that could take some kind of oath. Granted them special powers or something."

There was a tug at the back of Mavis' head. "...was there a symbol about—"

"—we should _go_." Hunk's voice carried over from the hushed whispers with Shiro. Shiro had a small frown stretched over his lips, brows furrowed slightly as Hunk's lips parted to say something else and then Rolo spoke up from her side.

"Hey, do you think you could find me a thermal pipe about this long?" Hunk whirled around and Rolo lengthened out his fingers. "It'll really help speed things along."

Hunk grumbled something and shot Mavis a look that seemed to say _I told you so_ and marched off to hunt down the missing piece. Rolo smiled and held the pipe in his hands well-meaningly. Mavis eyed the pipe, noting that its structure wouldn't be of any help to rebuilding his ship and she didn't even _own_ his ship. Her eyes skipped back to Hunk's downtrodden back and she grabbed his wrench as the leader trio approached, no doubt to apologize to Rolo for any ill comments so they could share what little information they had.

 _Maybe Lance—_ Mavis made a face as Lance fawned over Nyma's heels and rolled her eyes. She didn't even try with Pidge since her crewmate was still drowning the cyber unit in affection. _I'll just go help Hunk—_

"What were you two talking about?"

Mavis jolted, the heavy wrench slipping from her fingers and nearly crashing onto her foot had Keith's hand not shot out and snagged the tip just before it fell. His eyes never left her face and he held the wrench with ease between his fingers. Mavis scowled, disgruntled by the appearance _and_ the action because she didn't need a reminder that her muscles weren't the best out of the group but she could still hold her own against Coran and Pidge.

"Not much," Mavis said breezily. Her eyes glanced to where Allura and Shiro were speaking with Rolo and she glanced curiously back to Keith. "You're not... you know, doing stuff with them?"

Keith arched a brow.

Mavis gestured to the three. "You're basically our second..."

Mavis bit her lip and glanced to the side and away from Keith. The words didn't have a pleasant taste on her tongue for some reason—she knew it wasn't anything personal, but the idea gave her a bad gut feeling and she didn't last this long by ignoring her gut. Shiro nodded to something Rolo said, Allura looking contemplative as Rolo casually set the piece he'd been holding aside.

"Thought you'd want to be in on the action." Mavis changed. _He's obviously in no rush to get out of here. Maybe Hunk is right._

"There's not much action," Keith said simply, as though she'd hit her head a little too hard. "They're talking."

"You know, there's an old saying about the pen being mightier than the sword—"

"And you didn't answer my question," Keith finished meaningfully.

Mavis shot him a quizzical glance. "He's strangely bad at finding parts. Talked about the lack of space doctors. Maybe I'll open up the first inter galactic space hospital. That's about it."

Keith ignored her quipped response and nodded, taking in the information. Mavis raised a brow in turn, curiously crossing her arms over her chest as she eyed Keith with a thoughtful look. The Red Paladin shifted under her scrutiny, grasping his helmet in one hand and straightening as his eyes grew a touch defensive. "What?"

"It's just..." Mavis trailed off, shrugging one shoulder and reaching around to rub the back of her neck. _Quiznak, why is this so hard? I don't actually hate Keith it's just—_ "I mean, did knowing that... _help_ you in anyway?"

"I was just curious," Keith said simply. "He may have good information but it doesn't mean he's entirely above suspicion."

 _Then why isn't anyone listening to poor Hunk?_ Mavis grunted, "Don't you have better things to do?"

"Like Lance?" Keith fixed her with a look and Mavis bristled.

"Hey, he's doing plenty of important stuff don't you dare doubt—"

The tell-tale, familiar sound of a seismic _boom_ echoed across the sky and Mavis glanced up sharply. Amidst the stretched out glitter of constellations she could no longer make out, the remnants of energy faded along the ripples of the ink black canvas of space. Mavis made a face, realizing with dread as her eyes skimmed across the planet once more that sure enough, her Coast Buddy was gone in his Lion, most likely to woo the affections of the troubled rebel fighter.

Mavis tried her damnedest not to deflate upon the realization because it _was_ hard to back up her friend when the evidence was blaringly clear. She turned grimly to Keith, expecting his smug look and crossed arms, but what she found instead were open, iris colored eyes watching and waiting in silence.

Mavis blinked in surprise, but Keith remained silent, fingering the edge of his helmet before he straightened. "No _I told you so_?"

"You haven't gotten much rest since Sendak," Keith said instead with a small shrug. "I'm not here to pick a fight."

 _But you're the hothead._ Mavis wanted to protest, but her shoulders deflated and she sighed, feeling a tension she didn't know that had been wounding through her body release. _You can't be the understanding Shiro I kind of needed right now._

"Just don't want him getting into too much trouble," Mavis murmured. _I just got you back, Lance._ "Let's go help Hunk finish their ship before he has an aneurism."

"It's just Lance being Lance," Keith offered awkwardly.

"I know, Drop Out, don't worry."

"Can you stop calling me that?"

"I'll work on it."

* * *

 **Weird spot to cut the chapter but I wanted to blast off right away from getting the lion back next chapter and just sweep it into the Balmera since it's kind what happens anyway, just split into two episodes.**

 **HI GUYS HI I'M BACK WITH AN UPDATE YAHOO.**

 **Thank you all so much for your patience and for your love for this story. It's only four chapters in but there's so much love for Mav, and for the story itself, and I'm glad I'm doing our lovely cast justice so far because that's exactly what they deserve. I want to touch on deeper chapters for each of the characters and their interactions not only with Mav but with each other so look forward to all that!**

 **SPOILERS FOR SEASON SIX BELOW IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED YET JUST SKIP DOWN TO THE THANK YOU AND YOU'RE GOOD TO GO.**

 **Season six was phenomenal idk about you guys omg. We finally got the climax we've been building towards with Kuron and everything that's been edging towards the change in Voltron's story. I loved the development we got for some of the characters and the backstory for Keith's family just felt so** _ **needed**_ **, especially considering the time skip that happened for Keith and Kroila and it's just going to be so fun to write about because hmm ;)**

 **The fighting scenes were superb for me tbh and I think the only complaint I have is that I feel Lance was rather brushed off a bit this season. Not just with the dying—which we really need to talk about the fact that Lance basically** _ **died—**_ **and it seems like no one really talked about it? There was also the bit with Lance having that chance to connect with Shiro but it was rather written off with nothing more than an apology from Lance and I hope we just get more of him next season because our beautiful boi deserves that much ok. Season six was still amazing, Lotor's still a snake and can't wait to write him in but if I want that I better get cranking.**

 **THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR READING AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED MWAH.**

 **Marshmellow-**

 **-OUT!**


	5. rise up, rise up

**FINALLY.**

 **I hate that this is finally up just on the cusp of season 8 I am a mess, thank you for sticking around to read and being so patient updates are gonna come more often (bi-monthly hopefully) since we've hit the end –gross sobbing—**

 **I do not own Voltron.**

* * *

Of the Stars and You

Chapter Five:

Rise Up, Rise Up

* * *

In which Hunk saves a rock, Mavis learns what it means to heal an entire world, and yourself. Allura moves forward, Keith realizes there's a stairway he can take, Shiro looks back, and Lance remembers part of how he got here to begin with.

* * *

 _Location: Galaxy Garrison Medical Bay, West Wing_

* * *

 _"Well, hello beautiful."_

Mavis looked up from where she'd been sorting through the medical supplies. She was on shift for assistant nurse tonight in the Garrison barracks—she took most shifts, to be honest, since it always beat heading back to her dorm room and not speaking a word to her roommate. Not all cadets in her division were fond of the late night shifts. But _anything_ beat surface level conversation that Mavis didn't really care about, and plus, she could log in more hours this way.

 _"You're not having trouble fitting in, are you?"_ she stopped her sorting, eyes still blankly trained on the doorway where a cadet seemed to be weaseling something from the head medic. _"I noticed your practice log. It's commendable but... it'll help to have someone you can count on, you know. You don't go into space alone."_

Mr. West's voice floated past her ears and Mavis shook her head. She didn't _not_ get along with the other cadets. Mostly. _Some._ She wasn't _trying_ not to get along, she just wasn't trying _to_ get along. Most of the girls in her division were pointless to talk to anyway.

Mavis caught sight of soft tufts of brown hair and the head medic standing in the doorway as she addressed another cadet. Mavis watched the exchange for a bit before returning to her sorting, checking the expiration dates on some of the medications. _I should look into taking that class like he suggested... Mr. West said I had potential to make it to first class medic and be scouted for off planet missions at this rate._

Mavis stared quietly at the supplies in her hands. _Potential, huh?_

 _" ** _Aren't_ you just running away?"**_

She'd keep working hard. It was simple. Her fairly extensive knowledge with health had helped snag her spot into a few classes reserved for second and third year cadets. Whether some of her peers were happy with that or not—she didn't care. Mavis would keep gathering everything she needed and eventually, she could even help as senior medic on missions—

 _" ** _Is_ there anywhere left to go?"**_

 _"Alright, cadet, I'll let you rest for a bit here. My assistant can do a routine check and see what's wrong with you and give you a proper answer, alright?"_ The head nurse sighed and Mavis heard a low whistle.

 _"Sounds dandy to me! I owe you my life, beautiful—"_

 _"To the bed, cadet."_

 _Just gotta work hard._ Mavis narrowed her eyes, reaching for another bag to sort. _Mr. West said he'd see if I can fit into a few of the piloting courses... Just work hard, Mav—_

Mavis winced when her fingers tore through the packaging of several cotton swabs. She sighed, picking up the ones that hadn't touched the ground and reaching for a few scattered pieces. Footsteps echoed with a small bounce in the pacing. Mavis paused when one boot hovered over her hand, stopping just short of stepping on her fingers.

 _"Holy woah—that was close!"_ His foot jerked back and Mavis looked up, eyes widening as he teetered back and his face contorted as a strangled screech escaped his lips.

Mavis snagged his ankle, lurching with the pull of his weight before she managed to rock back and take him with her. The tan cadet shrieked, arms swinging wildly before he finally caught himself on the bed and panted.

The medical room fell silent.

 _"...you good?"_ Mavis said finally, she eyed his uniform. _New recruit like me. What's his base?_

" _Y-Yeah! Totally! Absolutely,"_ he said hurriedly, brushing off dust from his sleeve. Half his form hung awkwardly off the guard rail of the bed and he slowly turned to her, cheeks darkening. _"C...Can you, uh, not tell anyone about that?"_

 _"The fall."_

 _"The scream—well, wait, that too."_

Mavis stared at him for a moment before she snorted. His cheeks flushed darker and he ruffled the back of his head, glancing to the side with a pout. _"I'll never hear the end of this..."_

 _"No one for me to tell it to,"_ Mavis said. He quickly perked up, looking at her with stars in his eyes and she gathered the last of the fallen cotton swabs. Mavis dropped them into the trashcan. _"So no worries, cadet."_

 _"Hey, you're just a new recruit too, aren't you?"_ he protested, pointing to her uniform and Mavis shrugged. _"Med bay, huh? Could've sworn I saw you in the pilot course..."_

 _"Required simulations,"_ Mavis said. _"Cadets with an emphasis on medical practices still need to go through training. We can't be useless on the field, you know."_

 _"Right, right,"_ he nodded eagerly, rubbing his chin in thought before he snapped his fingers. Mavis paused as a hand settled into her view and he beamed at her, smile blindingly white as his eyes shone. _"I'm Lance. Lance McClain, future star pilot and commander of the Galaxy Garrison. To what do I owe this pleasure, miss..."_

Mavis stared at the hand for a second too long. Lance raised a smoothly arched brow. His skin was pretty nice too, now that she thought about it. _"Hey, I won't bite! Look at this face."_ He waggled his brows.

Mavis reached up. He met her the rest of the way and clasped her hand in his, giving it a few swift pumps as he smiled from ear to ear. _Nice smile. It's a good smile._ He dropped his hand from her and grinned over the railing of the bed, _"So... do I get a name to that pretty face?"_

Mavis stared at his hand. _"You've got soft hands."_

 _"Oh! That's because the face moisturizer I use also does wonders for—hey, wait! C'mon, don't tell me this is gonna be one of those..."_ Lance trailed off, looking thoughtful. _"Well, a mysterious game played with some cute chick in the medical division... that doesn't sound so bad—"_

 _"Mavis."_

 _"Alright, I'll be back tomorrow and—huh?"_ Lance gaped at her, Mavis pushed aside several boxes and folded an arm over her knees, offering him a small smile from where she sat on the floor.

 _"Mavis,"_ she repeated. _"You can call me Mavis."_

 _"I can or I should?"_

 _"No tricks,"_ Mavis shrugged. _"Just Mavis."_

 _"Mavis..."_ Lance tested out her name on his tongue, looking thoughtful as he mulled it over like a newly tasted meal and then he beamed, just as bright. _"Hey, I like that! Mavis, sounds like something out of a fairy tale. Cute name for a cute girl."_

 _" ** _You_ don't go into space alone."**_

Mavis bit her lip at the familiar words and then opened her mouth to speak once more. _"...it's a good name too."_

 _"Huh?"_ Lance looked back at her, smiling happily and Mavis rubbed her arm before she made a vague gesture his way.

 _"Lance,"_ she said. _"King Arthur's best knight... 's a good name."_

 _"...are you saying I could be your knight?"_

 _"Wasn't there supposed to be something wrong with you?"_

Lance sighed, swinging his arms over the rail of the bed. He wedged his feet between the bars and let them dangle down as he propped his hand on his cheek. _"Between you and me, beautiful, my kind of pain can't be cured with medication."_

Mavis raised a brow. _"I'm looking into new cures for possible illnesses that could pop up while in space. You getting a dose of space crazies?"_

 _"Nothing like that,"_ Lance lamented. He patted his hand over his heart, sobering up a bit and Mavis watched, curious as his eyes strayed to the window and he sighed. _"Just a little homesick... Don't tell anyone I told you that though."_

 _Can't relate._ Hung on Mavis' tongue, but she withheld the remark. She tried to imagine what Mr. West would've said in a situation like this... he was a considerate guy. Nice. Warm. He'd know what to say.

 _"Where are you from?"_ Mavis questioned.

Lance got a dopey smile on his face, eyes growing faraway. _"Cuba. Veradera to be exact. The best part if you ask me. Beautiful beaches, beautiful babes, best food around and garlic knots you could kill for..."_

Lance's eyes grew a bit misty and Mavis stiffened in surprise. _He's not going to cry, is he? Who the hell cries in front of someone they just met?_

Mavis winced at an old memory. _Never mind._

 _"Sorry,"_ Lance said suddenly and Mavis looked up. He swiped at the corners of his eyes and offered her a boyish, bright grin. _"Waiting for the holidays to visit gets rough and it's not easy flying home whenever I feel like it. Can you believe airline prices these days? It's beautiful though! You should visit if you've never been. I'll even be your guide. My brother runs a surf shop right on the beach and—"_

 _"What barrack are you in?"_

Lance blinked quizzically. _"Wazzat?"_

Mavis touched the scuffed up part of her shoes. Late night shifts meant free reign of comfortable footwear as long as they were non-slips and not outrageous. They were red high tops, simple in design. Sturdy.

 _" **You can't go to the Garrison barefoot, now can you?"**_

 _"Your barrack,"_ Mavis repeated. _"Which one?"_

 _"Two,"_ Lance answered. _"South side. Why?"_

Mavis stroked the heel of her shoe, as though to channel some sort of energy she wasn't sure existed.

 _"The screening room in Hall Gamma. Third door down. After hours if you can make it."_

Lance's eyes sparkled with interest and Mavis drew her fingers away from the shoe, offering him a small smile.

 _"It might be worth your while."_

* * *

"Do your feet hurt?"

Mavis blinked. Her eyes refocused and she realized she'd been stroking the smooth, hardened edge of the combat boots that were fitted with the makeshift paladin armor Allura and Coran had made for her, styled more toward Allura's Altean one. She looked up, but Keith's eyes were focused on the monitor of the lion's interior, bits of space debris and rubble floating through the screen as they drew closer to Balmera.

When she took too long to answer she saw Keith's hands flex against his controls. His head turned a bit, as though thinking of looking at her, but he kept his eyes glued to the monitor. "Your feet. Do they hurt—"

"No," Mavis said. "...no, they're fine. I was just thinking."

Getting Blue back had been an unexpected detour in their plan—one agitated Hunk and a bashful Lance later, their course to Balmera to liberate the living planet and its people from the Galra was back on course. Mavis, situated in the Red Lion's cockpit, had nestled herself into a corner where she wouldn't slip around as they flew back to the castle to finalize their plan of what to do once they arrived at the planet.

" _Oh, Blue, I won't let anyone steal you away, again, okay?"_ Keith and Mavis winced at Lance's voice floating through the communicators. _"I promise I didn't mean it girl, you're the only one for me."_

" _Lance, your comms are on."_ Pidge said flatly.

" _Aw, man!"_

Keith hit a button on the monitor. Silence fell between the two of them once more and Mavis grimaced. _Why didn't I just get into Lance's lion? I always feel like we can have normal conversations and then it gets all weird again..._

"You... rub your feet when you think?"

Mavis looked back at Keith. He kept his eyes focused on the screen. "You always look away from people when you talk to them?"

"I'm flying."

"Well, I'm thinking."

Mavis saw Keith's jaw set and his shoulders square. She held back a wince, rubbing the heel of her boot once more before she drew her hand away and set it in her lap, twiddling with her fingers.

"...it's just a habit," Mavis said finally. She turned her eyes sideways, tracing a finger along the glowing red lines that illuminated Red's interior. It was a nice color. She liked red. "Helps me think... Kinda ground myself. Like twiddling thumbs or something I guess."

Keith was silent. Mavis made a face, sighing through her nose as she let her head _thunk_ back against the sleek metal walling. Red glowed around her cheeks and she idly patted Red's side, wondering what kind of mentality let the lion put up with a guy like Keith—

"Like meditating," Keith said.

Mavis blinked, turning her cheek flat against the slightly warm metal. _Lance's lion is a little cool on the inside. Maybe it's because it's fire or something?_ "Yeah."

"...sparring helps me clear my head," Keith admitted. "Helps me think too. Plan things out. It makes everything seem a lot easier than it is."

 _Cause you're a brute._ Mavis bit her tongue at the lash, realizing at heart—it was unnecessary, wasn't it? Keith was awkward and rough, but she wasn't really one to talk either. Being friends with Lance just made her seem more sociable and understanding than she really was because he _did_ make her feel that way. Easy. Smooth.

 _You used to be the same._ Mavis ran a finger over her knuckles. _You're just being mean to him because—_

 _You're like that too._

"I know what you mean," Mavis said instead.

The tension in Keith's shoulders slackened a bit. His grip on the controls loosened and then he fell back more into his chair. Even though she couldn't see his face, she had to wonder if the expression he was making was a bit of a nicer one now too.

A low, soft rumbling whispered in the back of Mavis' mind. She jolted from her spot in surprise, head swinging around as she reached up and rubbed her temple. Keith spared a quick glance back. "What is it?"

"Did you... hear that?" Mavis questioned curiously. "Kinda like... a purr—"

She stopped. Mavis looked up at the roof of the lion she currently resided in. Keith turned fully in his seat now to face her, looking openly curious. "What'd you say?"

Mavis stared at the ceiling for a heartbeat longer. Her hand idly reached out, stroking palm down against the interior of the lion in an absently soothing gesture.

"Nah, never mind."

"...you're holding back on me again. What did you say?"

"Eyes on the road, dropout."

* * *

"So, how are we going to do this? Go in guns blazing like— _pow, pow, pow!_ And free the prisoners?"

Keith set a hand on his hip. "What was that noise?"

Lance smirked, "Laser guns."

"No, Lance, I think you mean—" Hunk made soft firing noises, pointing his fingers this way and that before nodding. " _Pow_!"

" _That_ sounds like fireworks."

"Technically, they're more like— _bachoo, bachoo!_ " Pidge said. Allura made a face.

"Okay, enough with the bad sound effects," Shiro sighed, turning to face forward before he dropped down into a crouch. "Besides, it's more like _blam! Blam! Blam!_ "

"It is _not_."

"What are you talking about?"

The group paused for a moment before their heads turned toward the back of the gathered control pad. Mavis sat cross legged on the floor, scattered items about her with her hair don up into a bun. A bit of sweat dribbled down the side of her brow as she shoved some items into one bag and threw a few to the side, folding plants and strange glowing tubes.

"Mav, what do laser guns sound like to you?" Lance questioned finally.

"What—oh." Mavis blinked, looking up from where she'd been comparing two thick vials of powdered alien herbal medication. "Lasers, uh, they're kinda like _pew pew pew,_ right?"

"What kind of laser gun are _you_ firing?" Pidge teased.

"Are you figuring out what to bring down onto the planet?" Shiro questioned, coming to stand beside her and Mavis nodded, pushing back her bangs from her face. They fell back and plastered to the side of her head.

"I'm not sure what'll work on their constitutions," Mavis said. "But in case anyone gets hurt before we can beam them back up to the ship... Well, hopefully we won't have to use them, I guess."

"I think it is a very wise move," Allura said proudly. Mavis tried not to flush, swiping her bangs back once more. "And all... _sounds_ aside, we must consider our approach tactfully."

"Allura's right," Hunk said. "We can't just... _shoot_ at the Galra. This Balmera is like, _alive._ And from what we've seen," their eyes turned toward the monitor the castle had pulled up, showing the heat signals of the planetary creature, "it doesn't look very good."

Mavis looked pitifully at her herbal medicines and Pidge patted her shoulder.

"It's an atrocity what the Galra have been doing to this grand beast," Coran said grimly. "Stealing its crystals... Its very _life_ force without ever performing the energy rejuvenation ceremonies to heal it."

 _Like taking blood without giving it time to heal or giving it anything back._ Mavis ran a hand through her stray strands, eyeing the monitor with a frown as she gripped her bag in her lap. _I don't think I have anything that could heal an entire planet._

"After seeing Shay's people enslaved, it made me realize how _bad_ Zarkon really is. And we're the only ones who can stop him," Hunk said firmly.

"Okay, so we can't go into the tunnels guns blazing," Shiro said. "Plan B. We figure out how to draw the Galra up to the surface and battle them out there."

"I know!" Hunk added, "If we attack all of this big mining stuff on the surface, the Galra troops will have to come out to defend it. Then we beat them up, head down to the tunnels, Voltron saves the day."

"Sounds like a plan," Mavis mused, tapping her ankle in thought. "Hunk, did you... _See_ any of them in danger or injured though? Anything that might slow us down when getting them out?"

Hunk shook his head. "They're all pretty sturdy but they're being kept in prisons and overworked. Aside from being a little low in morale... No one should be too hurt."

Hunk's eyes lowered. "I hope."

"And how will we know how many are left down in the tunnels?" Keith added.

Mavis looked up, "I can do a sweep on a cruiser."

Keith shot her a sharp look, "There's no telling how much ground to cover and it's dangerous."

"If you guys draw all the Galra to the top—"

"We can track the Galra and the Balmerans using Biothermal Life Indicator Point technology." Allura proposed, drawing up a hologram of a small machine and Pidge perked up.

"BLIP tech!"

Allura blinked. Pidge adjusted her glasses, "You know, an acronym."

"We need someone to fly around and drop a sensor into each shaft so we can monitor their whereabouts. There are already sensors built into your suits."

"I can do it," Pidge offered. "I just modified the Green Lion with the invisible maze's cloaking ability. I should be able to fly around unnoticed."

Coran tapped the screen, zooming into a part of the planet. Long, arching buildings outlined in Galra violet appeared and Coran pulled in closer to a central tower. "This is the main power generator. If you take that down, it will severely weaken their defenses."

"We'll use the clouds as cover and provide support," Allura said dutifully. "But as long as those Galran crystals are interfering, there isn't much else Coran and I will be able to do."

"Keith, Lance and I will take care of that," Shiro said surely. His eyes dipped down and Mavis waited quietly against the floor, hands gripping the stuffed back in her lap. "...Mavis—"

"I'll help the evacuation," Mavis said finally. She looked up, her gaze meeting Shiro's first and then Allura's evenly. "If you can give me something fast to keep me mobile through the tunnels, I can use the BLIP tech to scan for any signs of people who aren't moving and might've been hurt through the whole thing. I'll help get the injured out."

Allura's brows pinched in thought. Keith's mouth parted to protest while Lance gripped his arm, looking thoughtful at the ground. Hunk turned to Mavis, eyes imploring, "You think it'll help?"

"If anything happens," Pidge said. "Call."

Mavis zipped her back tight and slung it over her shoulder. She clipped the belt over her hips and stood, rubbing the back of her heel once before she straightened out.

"We don't know what state all of them are in," Mavis said. "I know it'll help."

She smiled at Pidge but fixed her gaze squarely on Shiro, his careful, thoughtful gaze holding her in place.

"And I will."

Keith stepped forward, "You should stay—"

"—in a lion," Lance said. Keith shot him a furrowed look but Lance merely shrugged, slipping his hands into a pocket as he turned to Mavis. "At least. It'd be safer and would provide more cover until we draw the Galra out. Then you can leave while we fight them on top."

"That's...right," Pidge said in surprise, adjusting her glasses. "Lance has a point."

"I agree," Shiro said. Mavis felt her shoulders slump in relief and he crossed his arms over his chest. "But if the ground evacuation gets too dangerous, you pull out and head to the castle. Understood?"

Mavis brought her hand over her chest, patting her heart.

"Understood."

* * *

 _"I think you were meant more than just this, you know."_

* * *

" _Hunk, is Mavis strapped in?_ "

Hunk blinked beneath his visor. The Yellow Lion roared to life beneath him as the castle engaged in the launchers, hangar bays opening up for them to shoot through. He turned over his shoulder, staring at Mavis' face twisted into an expression of annoyance.

"Well, there aren't exactly any seatbelts in Yellow," Hunk said slowly. Keith grunted over the comm and Pidge muttered something about wondering if she could build one into the system. Mavis purposely grabbed a side bar along the interior of the lion, gripping tight to it and clipping her tool belt to it for good measure. "Wait, no, yeah. She is. Good enough."

"Keep your eyes on the road, dropout," Mavis tapped her communicator at her ear, the ones at her wrist glowing as she spoke. Keith's face came up, shielding by his helmet. "You're not my mom."

" _That's not what I was—"_

" _You think they'll throw a party for us?_ " Lance wondered over the communicators. Yellow, hazy dust clouds parted as they breached the planet's atmosphere and Mavis smiled at her friend's voice.

" _It's not about the glory or the fame, Lance,"_ Keith said dully. " _We're here to liberate the Balmerans from Zarkon's rule._ "

" _I know, but I was just wonder—eek!_ "

"I'll put something together when we get back," Mavis offered, a small smile on her lips and Hunk glanced at her over his shoulder. "We can have a huge feast or something to congratulate our first planetary liberation, yeah?"

" _Now that's what I'm talking about!_ " Lance cheered.

" _Hey, that doesn't sound too bad,"_ Pidge mused.

"If it all goes well and we save Shay and her people," Hunk added, a bit softly, "I'll cook us up something real good."

Mavis' hand reached over and she squeezed Hunk's shoulder. He risked one hand back to grip her hand in return and the two turned their eyes toward the monitor as the dense atmosphere around them cleared away.

" _...yeah,_ " Keith's voice floated over the communications and Mavis paused, touching her ear. " _It doesn't._ "

Galra purple illuminated the running crevices along the planet's surface. Towering buildings and arches began to come to life and the moment the lion's broke through the cover of the clouds, the cannons trained themselves their way and ignited.

" _This is it. Get your heads in the game,_ " Shiro ordered. Mavis clung tight to the handlebar and tapped the metal pieces that ran from the edge of her head pieces and peeked a bit beneath her eyes, causing a miniature monitor to appear before her. _"Remember, the Balmera is a living creature. Make sure you pinpoint only the Galra instillations and not its surface!_ "

" _Initiating cloak,"_ Pidge said. Mavis turned to the monitor as the Green Lion disappeared from view. Hunk pressed forward on the controls, urging Yellow forward as they weaved through a barrage of weapons and crashed into several building pieces.

Blue shot past in her line of vision, Shiro zipping through the air, a blade clasped between his lion's jaws. Mavis watched in disbelief as he sliced clean through an entire row of generators, light flashing briefly before they exploded forth, thick plumes of smoke trailing up into the sky.

Hunk lurched, dragging his lion across the sky as they slammed into another archway. Metal tumbled and went crashing to the ground and Mavis spotted a tunnel opening several clicks away as she began to make her way to the back of the lion. "Preparing for drop off!"

" _All sensors delivered!_ " Pidge reported.

Figures came to life before Mavis' eyes, linking up to her monitor. The blended figures of light shifted until red and purple began to sort themselves out and Mavis tapped her communicator. "Readings are clean!"

Hunk let out a startled yelp, jerking Yellow to the side. Mavis lurched, letting out a squeak of surprise as she caught herself on the lion's side. "What was that?"

"Sorry," Hunk said. "Just trying not to get burned. Keith has... magma lasers or something now."

Mavis turned over her shoulder. Dust cleared amidst the monitor, revealing one of the massive laser towers as Keith let out a _whoop_ through the line. The entire structure trembled, collapsing from the gaping hole in the middle and Mavis stiffened as Hunk let out a groan.

" _Oh, no,"_ Keith murmured.

Hunk shot forward and Mavis braced herself against the side of the lion. The entire structure groaned above them, slamming hard into Yellow's back and Mavis grimaced as Hunk began to groan, pressing hard onto his controls as he struggled not to let the tower come crashing down onto the planet's surface. "Hey! We can't let this thing hurt the Balmera!"

" _Are you guys okay?_ " Keith questioned quickly.

"Try breaking it in half!" Mavis suggested, pulling up a monitor beside her. "Maybe if we make it small enough—"

" _I think my lion knows what to do!_ " Lance exclaimed. " _Hold on guys!_ "

A blur of blue shot past the corner of them monitor. Lance pulled back and then his lion's jaws parted, a thick, clean ray of icy blue shooting outwards and slamming into the broken tower. Ice began to erupt from his beam, crackling as it raced up along the structure and Hunk pulled away, everyone rejoining together at the top of the precipice.

"Good work team!" Shiro praised. Mavis scanned the surface with her monitor, strapping an extra pack onto her thigh as she peered out the side of the lion.

"...where are all the troops?" Keith questioned slowly, his monitor popping up onto Hunk's screen. "They're not coming to the surface."

"Yeah, I remember seeing _a lot_ of Galra guys down in the mines," Hunk said with a frown. "This just reeks of something suspicious."

"They might've left if they knew you guys were coming," Mavis said. Her brows furrowed and she glanced to the corner of the monitor flashing before her eyes like shaded glasses, curving around her head. "I think... I think I see Balmeran signatures right below us."

Mavis narrowed her eyes. "They're not moving—"

" _We've located a hangar full of Galra fighters just below the surface!_ " Allura said sharply. " _Someone has to take those out before they can launch._ "

"They're luring us down." Shiro said grimly. "But we have no choice. Keith, Lance, you guys hit the hangar. Hunk and Mavis, heads to the prison to rescue Shay and the other Balmerans. Pidge and I will track down the Galra soldiers."

"Yes, sir."

"Ten-four!"

"On it!"

"Let's do this!" Hunk cheered, pressing his controls forward and he flashed Mavis a look over his shoulder. "When we hit the tunnels, we can use the cruiser to—"

Mavis hit the mute button on their communicators. Hunk shot her a quick look of surprise as they went shooting through the tunnels, landing with a rumble against the hardened floor. "I'll take the second one we had strapped up in case we needed it. We'll cover more ground this way."

Hunk's face twisted in uncertainty, his eyes flashed to the first mouth of the tunnel. "But we don't even know where—"

"There's a huge group just below the tower we destroyed," Mavis said. Lights popped up onto her screen. "They haven't moved since we got here but there's a second one deeper into the tunnels. You can get their faster with yours than mine. I'll start helping these guys out."

" _Hunk. Mavis, everything alright_?" Keith said sharply. Mavis kept one hand hovered over the mute button and Hunk's eyes flashed.

"I don't have a good feeling about this, Mavy," Hunk said honestly.

"I don't either," Mavis admitted grimly. "Reeks of a trap like you said. But if you guys need to fight, someone needs to help guide them out. I can do that instead of sticking with you sitting in here and doing nothing."

" _Hunk? Mav?_ " Lance repeated.

Hunk slapped his lion and the lower doors parted. The second cruiser, a sleek, gray vehicle modeled after the Paladin's began to lower itself to the ground and Mavis smiled. Hunk wagged a sharp finger at her as he stood, grabbing his bayard and storming past her, "If you see Shay, help her out as soon as you can and _don't_ —"

Hunk crushed her tightly to his chest and Mavis winced, cheek squished against his armor. "—do anything stupid, okay? I don't really feel like dying because of Keith. Lance wouldn't kill me but he wouldn't be very happy with me either."

Mavis slapped the unmute button off and flashed him a grin, "You leave that to me."

"Mavis and Hunk moving out," Hunk said to their comms.

 _You can do this, Mav._ Mavis slipped into her cruiser and Hunk flashed her a nod from his. The two vehicles parted and Mavis adjusted the controls, the entire thing humming to life beneath her as she raced down the closer tunnel, keeping an eye on the bright red blurs on her monitor. _You can be useful. Just be smart and be quick._

Mavis pressed her heel harder against the engine throttle in lieu of her hand on her heel.

 _You can do something for once._

The tunnel archways above her were lined in jagged pieces, glittering a bit at the ends from some kind of energy source. Mavis kept close to the left side of the walls, following the small tunnel path she'd taken closer to the hotspot of red signatures in her monitor. Shadowed darkness flashed over her cruiser as she slowed to a stop by the mouth of a gaping tunnel, pressing the top of the opening hatch so she could slide out and proceed on foot.

" _Mavis, you just exited your cruiser."_ Allura's voice echoed at her ear. _"We see a huge signature before you—Balmerans. Can you not proceed further?"_

"Just being careful," Mavis said quietly. No Galra signatures had appeared on her screen, but Mavis kept tight to the walls and toed the ledge of one tunnel mouth. A steep drop opened up before her and she hugged the jagged lines beside her, carefully inching her way down.

" _You and Hunk split up,"_ Allura said carefully.

"We'll cover more ground this way," Mavis said honestly. "I'll start leading them to one of the openings if the path is clear... don't tell Keith or Lance, okay? We're gonna be fine."

"... _There's a massive energy signature beside you,"_ Allura said with a quiet sigh. _"I think it may be some sort of barrier or force field, perhaps a holding cell. Proceed with caution._ "

"Aye, aye, captain," Mavis whispered, touching her communicator and peering over the ledge.

A bright, sleek dome came into view. Hovering spheres held the entire particle barrier in place and Mavis narrowed her eyes, twisting for a better view.

Several hunched over figures were huddled together in the center of the dome. Two Galran sentries were positioned on either side of the barrier. Mavis tapped her monitor, adjusting the camera lens and she zoomed in to scope out the spot. Sturdy, somber looking figures pressed tight and close together as they held smaller children to them. _Balmerans._ Mavis eyed the two sentries and did a quick sweep of the area for anymore. _I thought Hunk said most of them were roaming around the tunnels for work... Why are so many being kept here?_

Mavis braced herself against the wall and shuffled a hand through one of her packs. She pulled out a small, glowing sphere, tapping the top of it so she could toss it down below. _I don't have a bayard to fight back with. I just brought a knife and medication._ Mavis patted the strapped pocket knife on the side of her leg. _I'll need to steal one of their guns if it comes down to it._

Mavis' fingernails caught against the wall. She pulled her hand away with a wince and paused, the jagged crack too smooth to be a regular break in the wall.

Arching, sloping curves were etched deep into the side of the tunnel. Mavis blinked, staring at the symbol curiously until her mind finally clicked into place. _That's... That's the symbol from the book._

The thinly curved _U_ with a diamond at the center and two crescent moons arched between a thin line that crossed through it. Mavis ran a thumb over the emblem, her monitor clicking in place as she snapped a photo. _But... But what the hell is it doing here? Is it Balmeran then?_

" _Mavis! I found Shay's family!_ " Mavis jolted into attention, swinging her gaze back to the gathered Balmerans. _"Where are you? Shay's not with them. They took her to the core of the Balmera!"_

Mavis scanned the long, arching tunnel before her. Nothing bright or particular glistening stood out aside from the Galran tech. "Not at the core... I found a group of Balmerans and I'm going to send them up to the surface."

" _Be careful!_ " Hunk urged and Mavis clicked the metal sphere in her hand, little green lights coming to life from Pidge's personal touch.

Mavis tossed the sphere down below. The two sentries turned, raising their guns as they aimed it at the small sphere. It clicked into place and then a cloud of thick green smoke dispersed, thinly concealed spores from a plant Mavis had picked up from the Arusians. She quickly skidded down the side of the tunnel, keeping low to the ground as she snuck around a jagged rock.

The Balmerans stirred, some turning their heads with wide eyes. Mavis pressed a finger to her lips, motioning for them to keep low to the ground as one of the sentries marched forward. Mavis weaseled her knife out of its sleeve and lunged.

The hardened blade jabbed itself even between the back circuitry of the sentry. It fizzled, energy crackling beneath her fingers. It groaned, collapsing with a loud _clank_ onto its knees and Mavis drove the knife deeper into the circuitry to make sure it wouldn't get back up. Heat flashed by her ear, nearly singing off the end of her communicator.

Mavis felt her heart leap into her throat, tugging every last inch of combat training and lessons at the Garrison as she tumbled forward. The second sentry continued to fire shots her way and Mavis roughly tugged the laser gun from its grip, rolling onto her knee and taking aim.

" _You won't get a second chance out here."_

Mavis fired.

Energy erupted from the nozzle and pierced the second sentry through its chest. Electricity crackled outwards before it collapsed in a heat of metal. Mavis breathed heavily, gripping the laser gun in her hands tightly for a few seconds before she slowly stood.

 _You just took down two sentries._ Mavis thought carefully. _Not in the castle. Not with any help. You did it, see? You can do it._

Mavis gripped the gun tight to her chest. The Balmerans stood in alarm, ushering their children close to their sides and tucking them behind themselves.

 _You can do something._

"I just found a huge group of Balmerans," Mavis reported in, tapping her comm. "They look uninjured but they were being kept in a containment cell. The guards are down and I'm going to proceed to release them and guide them up to safe spot for evac."

" _Wait, what?_ " Lance squawked over the comms. There was a grunt and then a sharp sound before a whispered sorry and then Lance quickly spoke again, " _Where are you Mav? I thought you were with Hunk?"_

Mavis grimaced, tossing the gun to the side and roughly pulling the sentry's arm from its socket. The Balmerans pressed hands to their mouths at the sight. "We split up to cover more ground. It's not important. I found more Balmerans who were trapped."

" _She had a point,"_ Hunk piped up.

" _Are you safe?"_ Shiro questioned. Mavis nodded and then rolled her eyes at herself, realizing no one could see.

"Yes. Peachy." Mavis waited a heartbeat, eyeing her comms on her wrists. Keith didn't speak up and Mavis raised a brow, idly wondering if he was just busy doing something Lance wasn't or if—

Mavis winced. _He's not the type to get mad like that... right? I mean, you're the one always bashing on him. He's giving you space and not lecturing you. You wanted that._

Mavis shook her head. She needed to keep her thoughts clear. She could worry about how Keith might be feeling later. If he wasn't saying anything, he wasn't saying anything. She'd take it as a little mercy.

" _Don't do anything I wouldn't do_ ," Pidge warned.

 _I'll do my best._

Mavis hefted the arm into her grip, stepping over the fallen body toward the control panel locking the Balmerans in. One of them came close to the door and Mavis offered him a shaky smile. "Hi. I'm, um, with Voltron. I don't know if you've heard of them but... Giant lions that form a super strong space weapon? I'm, uh, yeah, I'm just with them. I'm going to get you guys out now, okay?" _Will they even understand me? Hunk and Coran talked to them..._

"You've... come to save us," the Balmeran whispered softly and Mavis paused, caught off guard by words she never imagined hearing.

"...yeah," Mavis said quietly. She pressed the sentry's hand to the control pad. The entire barrier flickered once and then collapsed, the humming energy ceasing and the Balmerans quickly rushed out and surrounded her, awe and gratitude stretched across their faces. "I am."

"We don't have much time young savior," an older Balmeran said quickly. "We must hurry. Our planet... it is dying. There won't be much time left to do anything for it."

Mavis straightened to attention. She tapped her monitors, scanning the tunnels up ahead. "Allura, I need the fastest route to the surface away from Galra tech—"

"We can take you to the surface," another Balmeran said hurriedly. "But we... the Galra... We cannot go. Down here is where we are the safest."

" _Follow the Balmerans,"_ Allura ordered. _"I'll direct you as I see the signatures coming up. I'm rewiring your monitor to see several paces ahead—will that be good enough?"_

"I'll work with what I've got," Mavis said firmly. She tightened her strap over her shoulder, searching the Balmerans. "Is anyone here hurt? We can move to a wider spot and I can treat any injured. We're going to get you guys out of here, I promise."

"My brother," a Balmeran whispered. A smaller Balmeran was cradled in her arms and the crowd parted so she could stand beside Mavis. "A soldier struck him the other day and they moved us before we could treat him. His leg is badly hurt."

Mavis searched the area around here with a quick glance, stomping onto a sentry. The Balmeran winced as she ripped off part of the armored plating, tucking it under her arm. "I can treat him in a second. Let's get moving."

The earth beneath them trembled as the Balmerans rushed forward down one of the gaping tunnels. Mavis followed close to the siblings, already searching through her pack for the antibiotics she'd need and the fabric for making a splint. A low, keening whine pierced the air and several Balmerans gripped their chests, fearful eyes watching the shaky cracks that fissured along the tunnel walls.

"Is that... the planet?" Mavis whispered. A Balmeran nodded grimly.

"Our planet suffers every second," he said sadly. "We must hurry, young savior."

"Call me Mavis."

"Through here then, young Mavis—hurry!"

" _Paladins, are you there?_ " Allura spoke up once more, urgency flashing through her voice. " _Galra troops are moving down the tunnels. It looks like they're going down toward the center."_

Mavis checked her location with the screen Allura had sent her. _That's not too far from where we are._

" _They must be headed to the core of the Balmera!_ " Hunk said hurriedly. " _That's where they're holding Shay._ "

" _They're drawing us into an ambush,"_ Shiro concluded grimly. " _But we have no choice if we want to save Shay. We'll follow. Lance, Keith, get to the core. I think we're going to need everyone together to get through this fight._ "

" _Copy that! We're on our way._ "

Mavis picked up her feet, urging the Balmerans beside her as they took a sharp turn, pushing through the tunnels as the ones ahead cleared blockades and abandoned equipment. " _Mavis, I want you back here with us. We need to consolidate our forces._ "

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Mavis pressed a hand to the Balmeran's chest and she stopped, lowering her brother down to the ground. "One of them is hurt—I need to take care of this first."

" _Are you sure you're okay, Mav?_ " Lance's voice hit her ears, light but tinged with worry. _"Keith and I aren't too far from your location. We can come get you first."_

"I can meet you there," Mavis reassured him. "You guys are heavy hitters, get there first."

" _Aw, shucks—_ "

" _Be there._ " Mavis stopped briefly at Keith's voice. Even. Clipped. " _Or we'll come to get you ourselves._ "

Mavis smiled, setting the metal down at her feet. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that was you telling me you trust me for once, Keith."'

Static was her reply and Mavis refocused on the items before her, renewed energy flickering through her fingers.

Mavis pulled the metal plating forward, ripping one of the communicators from her ear and smashing it against the ground. The energy crackled, heat fizzling from its center and Mavis used it to warm the metal, gingerly using her gloves to slowly bend the plating into place. She set the plating against the ground, sifting through her pack and pulling for the binding and medical tape.

"This might hurt a bit," Mavis said softly, pressing a hand to the lower part of the injured leg. _Fractured? It might be a clean break on the inside._ The Balmeran winced and she uncapped a vial with her teeth, spreading a powdery mush onto her now gloveless hand.

The antiseptic herbal mix settled against the Balmeran's leg. Mavis counted to twenty in her head to make sure there weren't any immediate reactions against the mixture and then she slowly began to layer a wrap over the leg, sliding the adjusted metal plate into place before she tightened that off and threw several more layers around it. The makeshift splint held.

"We're going to need someone to carry him if you can," Mavis said. "We'll move you guys to somewhere safe while we handle the Galra. You can help us by getting your people closer together—anyone scattered through the tunnels needs to pair up and join a bigger group."

Mavis stood, wiping her hands off on her thighs. "What's the fastest way to the core of this planet?"

"It's dangerous to go deeper, young Mavis," a Balmeran said worriedly. "Our Balmera is unsteady... it weeps as we speak. Should it crumble—"

Mavis set a hand on his arm. The rocky, sturdy skin twitched beneath her touch and Mavis offered him a small, steady smile.

"I've got a date to keep."

The ground beneath her feet groaned, glowing softly. Mavis stumbled back, eyes growing wide in surprise. The earth began to part, tumbling in on itself and colliding until the rocks began to morph and a path cleared through. Mavis gazed down into the makeshift tunnel and turned, the gathered Balmerans gazing back at her evenly, eyes flashing with perhaps—

 _Hope._

She never thought someone could look at her that way.

" _You're worth a lot more than you're willing to label yourself for."_

"This will lead you straight there," the Balmeran whispered. "Thank you for freeing us. We will round up our brethren as you asked. If you need anything—" he pressed his palm to the curving earth and it came to life beneath his hand, "—the Balmera will answer."

Mavis' monitor flickered to life. Something heavy twisted in her heart, a foreign feeling. A weighty one, but not one she didn't want to feel.

 _A good feeling._

" _Do something for them."_

"Thank you," Mavis said, and then she turned and ran.

* * *

Soft, thin veins of light illuminated the tunnel passageway as Mavis ran.

Darkness and deep, tightly packed earth surrounded her in on either sides. It curved over her head, groaning in protest from time to time as the Balmera struggled to keep itself alive. _I'm sorry I can't do anything for you._ The shadows licked temptingly at her heels and Mavis kept her breathing even, refusing to glance to the patches of darkness not illuminated by the tunnel.

 _You're almost there._ Her monitor glowed against her face. _Keep going, Mav. There's nothing be afraid of. It's just the dark._

Her feet dug into the earth and Mavis breathed. The eerie glow of Galra violent ran long line through the massive archways. Heavy metal was built into the tunnel standing before her, two sliding doors parted as lights glowed by its entrance. "Guys? Are you there?"

"Mavis?" Mavis perked up at Keith's voice from deeper into the center room. She hurried toward it, relief flooding her chest. _You're not alone, see?_ "We're in here."

"I'm sorry it took so long. Did you guys find Shay?" Mavis reached the edge of the door and Keith came to view around the side. His shoulders were taut for a moment before they went slack, just a bit, and something eased up on his face. Lance was fast at his heels and his entire face brightening at her appearance. "I told the group I found to—"

A loud, blaring alarm pierced the air. Lance looked up, raising his bayard and Keith's eyes narrowed sharply as his sword appeared beside him. Mavis jolted, stepping back from the door as lights flashed around her and she risked a quick glance back to the secondary door she'd just passed.

The earth groaned. Mavis froze when the door slid shut with a resounding, echoed _thud._

 _Oh, no._

"Mavis, grab my hand!" Keith shouted. Mavis whipped around, lurching forward as he dropped his sword and stretched out to reach her. "It was a trap—"

Mavis felt panic leap into her chest as she lunged for Keith's outstretched hand. "I don't want—"

The metal doors clicked into place. They slammed forward together, nearly clamping down onto Mavis' hand had she not snatched it back just a second too close. The heavy, echoed _click_ forced a deadbolt Galran lock into place and Mavis felt her blood turn to ice as she gazed at the locked doors before her.

A heavy thud slammed into the other side. She heard Keith's muffled shout and then loud, piercing shots as Lance must've fired on the door at his side. "Mav! Mav! Are you alright?"

Mavis' fingers trembled and she quickly latched her hands together, weaving her fingers through each other. Her eyes trailed slowly to the packed in dirt wall beside her and then to the one that surrounded her on either side, heavy metal doors sealing her in this small tunnel entryway.

— _to be alone._

Mavis tried to keep her breathing even. Her hands began to shake violently but she pressed them close to her gut, keeping them tightly locked together. She let her eyes focus hard on the door, reminding herself to _breathe damnit_.

"There's no way it'll budge!" Keith snarled from the other side. Mavis shuffled closer to his voice, pressing her forehead against the cool metal. _They're right there. They're literally a foot away from you, stop panicking—_

"Wait, Keith—move for a second. Mav? Can you hear me?" Lance said suddenly, his voice right by the door.

Mavis nodded. She shook her head against the door at herself. "Yeah. I can. I hear you."

"You're stuck between those two doors right? Keith and I went through one on our way in here. Shiro and everyone else is here too, we found Shay."

Mavis made a small noise of agreement.

She pressed closer to the door, crowding as close to the eerie light it emitted as close as possible. Lance was silent for only a second before he spoke up.

"Mav, is it dark over there?"

She heard Keith's muffled voice. Mavis shakily turned her head over her shoulder.

Darkness ate at every corner of her small enclosure. Bits of light glowed from the door and from some energy outlet installed beside it. She could see her own shadow.

"A little," Mavis said softly.

"Great! That's good, it's only a bit," Lance said cheerfully. Mavis nodded against the door, even though she knew he couldn't see it. "You right by the door? Keep talking to me, Mav."

"Right here," Mavis said. "Right here. I, um—I can see my shadow. There's light by the door. I don't think I'm going to run out of oxygen anytime soon but... Out. Okay. Out. How are we going to get out? So it was a trap after all—how'd they know? I—"

"Move, Lance," Keith barked. "I'm going to pry the door open."

"Yo, unfluff your mullet, you barbarian," Lance quipped. "You think it's going to work? You literally _just_ threw yourself at the door."

Mavis laughed. "What an idiot."

"I know right?"

"You have any _other_ bright ideas?" Keith said roughly, but there was no real malice in his voice. Mavis smiled. "She's rambling. Are you sure you're not losing oxygen in there?"

"I'm going to live," Mavis said confidently. Whispers were already fading. The darkness merely kept to her heels.

" _Paladins, we need you."_ Allura's voice cut into the calm, pressed and lined with desperation. " _We're surrounded by an entire Galran fleet and our shields will not hold against their—we're taking heavy fire!"_

Allura's raised pitch into panic made Mavis flinch. Keith snarled something on the other side of the door, _"You need to get out of there as soon as you can!"_

"This is it," Lance whimpered, "We're going to die here. Break the door Keith, at least let me die with Mav in my arms while we say goodbye to that parade—"

"Please, don't," Mavis said.

"What is wrong with you?" Keith said at the same time.

" _Get it together guys,"_ Shiro's voice flared up in her comm and Mavis perked up. _Shiro!_ Shiro always knew what to do. _Think like Shiro._ " _Allura, we'll get there as soon as we can._ "

Mavis risked a glance over her shoulder. She inhaled sharply and then pushed off the door, taking a step back. _You're fine, you idiot. You're fine. Who the hell do you think you are? It's just the dark. Nothing can hurt you here._ Her fingers felt along the thick rock walls, feeling for grooves or for anything that might give her an inch to get out. _Can I break the control panel? Will that work?_ Mavis stuck as close to the thin strips of light as possible, keeping one eye on the fact that she could see her shadow.

" _If you can see yourself, you're fine."_

"I can see myself," Mavis murmured. "I'm fine."

"Wait a minute, Mav," Lance piped up after a second. "I think Shay's got an idea. Hang tight, okay? We'll fill you in." Mavis leaned toward her comm, crouching down beside the door as she felt along a thick wire, tugging it experimentally. "Okay, Shay can apparently talk to her people through the rock—Balmeran, I think... I think it's gonna get us out! Hang tight, baby!"

"That's good—that's great," Mavis said quickly, relief flooding her chest as she rocked back on her heels, bracing herself against the wall and wrapping the wire around her arms. "I think... I can get... out too—"

" _Paladins! The lions are in danger! You must get back to them immediately!_ "

The earth trembled. Mavis jolted, the wire clamping down around her as it pull free with her heave. Rocks around her began to groan, shifting and vibrating as they glowed softly. Mavis' eyes went wide, scrambling to stand as the wire gave way and the door sparked, energy crackling before it zapped out, narrowly missing her head and fizzling against the earth.

" _Paladins,_ " Allura began gravely. " _Do. You. Copy. There's a battle cruiser locked onto us. If it fires its ion cannon, I don't know if we can survive._ "

"We're trying, Allura," Lance piped up in her ear and Mavis slowly stood to her feet, staring with wide eyes at the massive heaps of crushed metal now staring back at her. "Shay's pressing her hand against the wall which apparently sends vibrations to the other rock people who vibrate back or something—"

"Yeah," Mavis whispered into her comm. "I think it really works."

"What do you mean?" Keith snapped in her ear. "Are you out? You're not in our room—"

The wire Mavis had pulled free had shut off the main power circuit to her door. But the moment the lights switched out, the earth around it had pushed forth, churning and crumpling until the doors were crushed between them and there was room for her to escape into the tunnels. A rush of breezy, musky air touched her and Mavis felt along her wrist, cursing herself for not realizing there was a light she could've activated sooner. _Mavis, you fucking idiot._ "The... The _Balmera_ I think just... opened up a door for me... I'm proceeding to the tunnel."

"With caution," Shiro stressed, to someone else he added, "Shay, do you think they heard you? Are you sure the Balmera is sending your message?"

 _Even if I get to the lion I can't fly it._ Mavis frowned, tapping her monitor. The closest to her at this point was Red, but it seemed the winding tunnels still unmapped, she had no idea how long it could take. "I'm in the tunnel. I'm going to head to Red first..."

Mavis stopped, eyes catching on a glimmer of light.

Gold in color, faint, like the last embers of a blown out candle. The symbol pressed into the earthen walls gleamed back at her, glowing softly. Mavis stared at it for a heartbeat, transfixed by its warm shine. _That... That didn't happen with the other one. What even is this?_ Her feet brought her closer, the gentle light coaxing. _What's this symbol supposed to mean? Is it a way out? A language?_

Mavis reached out with gloved fingers, something in her chest fluttered—her heart skipped a beat.

"Mavis! We made it out of the center!" Shiro's voice cut loud and clear through her comm and Mavis flinched back. The symbol flickered, regretful, and then it disappeared back into the earthen wall. Mavis stared at the space where it had once been in disbelief, hand dropping to her side. "We're heading to our lions as fast as we can to help Allura, meet up with Keith and let's go!"

"I'm halfway there," Keith cut in. "Mavis, where are you? I'm barely picking you up on the readings!"

"I'm here," Mavis answered quickly, launching herself down the tunnel and hurrying as she pulled up Keith's icon. "I'm running toward you right now, I think I'm—"

Mavis' foot caught on a lump of rock. Her breath caught and she steadied herself against a wall, nearly smashing her head into leftover equipment as she skidded to a halt. Keith shouted something in her ear and her eyes rose upwards, stopping once she realized what was happening.

"You're on the other side of this wall," Mavis said quietly.

" _What?_ " She could barely hear the low echo of his voice on the other side and loud in her comm. "Stand back, I'll open it up—"

"You can't hurt the Balmera," Mavis reminded sharply. "I-It's okay. We're fine. I'm going to run around the other way and meet up with the rest of the Balmerans—"

"Mavis, what's going on?" Shiro said sharply.

"You want us to leave you _behind?_ " Keith nearly roared and Mavis winced at the volume by her ear. "On this planet without _any_ defenses? Are you insane? You lost it back there, didn't you—"

"I _didn't_ ," Mavis said loudly. "We're running out of time and Allura needs you guys now! They can't hurt me in the tunnels anyway. I'm going to round up the rest of the Balmerans and help them get to a safe spot in case things get worse. Just come get me in the ship once you help Allura!"

"I'm blasting the wall—"

"Mavis, I'm pulling up your biomonitors and screens," Pidge said quickly. "I'll keep an eye out for anything you might not catch on your monitor."

"We'll hurry!" Hunk said. "Just hang tight, okay? Don't do anything stupid! I mean, the first one was my fault for letting us split up, but I'm not doing it again—"

"You play it safe and you play it right," Shiro ordered. "We're coming back for you _as soon as possible._ "

"You'll just be in orbit," Mavis muttered. "I'm not going anywhere."

Around her the walls echoed with a low, pained wail. Mavis' heart clenched at the sound and she pressed a hand to the wall, smoothing her palm over it. _I hope._

"We'll be right back," Lance whispered surely.

"Don't be too long," Mavis said.

Her eyes turned toward the massive wall in place before her. Mavis took one step toward it, hesitating for a moment before her lips parted. _"I know you don't believe in me. I know you think I can't do anything but—"_

 _Keith, you don't really feel that way, do you?_

"I know you'll miss me," Mavis joked loosely, "but with your flying? It'll just be a second. You weren't the top flyer for nothing, Dropout."

A beat.

" _Don't_ ," Keith stressed, low, sharp and loud all at once in her ear. " _Be an idiot._ "

For good measure, a loud, heavy thud echoed on the wall before her. Mavis grinned.

"I'm pretty sure I got better grades than you."

* * *

" _Okay team, let's form Voltron!_ "

Mavis' heels skidded down the rocks tumbling at her feet. Around her, the massive network of tunnels had all opened up into one huge center piece. A column or earth stood tall at the center, layers and layers of tunnel openings gaping out as Balmerans began to shift and run to the opening of the tunnels.

Her hand caught on the edge of the tunnel before her, peering down into the massive drop with nothing but hard packed earth to welcome her with open arms.

She'd reconvened with the Balmerans from before, managing to convince them to contact the others the way Shay had apparently done. A Balmeran had come forth from one of the groups and quickly greeted her with warm arms, clasping her hands. "I'm Shay, Hunk once mentioned you—"

"Mavis. Not Young Mavis. It's nice to meet you too now where's the safest place we can take your people in case things get ugly?"

According to Shay— _here_. The heart of their work. The main tunnel center.

The planet let out a grueling, heart wrenching wail. Something groaned forebodingly back in response. The ground above them on the surface opening trembled, sending rocks and debris tumbling down. A low clench in her gut told her what it might've been, but Mavis was praying on her shitty luck it wasn't.

All the Balmerans around her flinched, eyes turning toward their planet. Mavis felt something in her heart twist once more and her eyes chased the edges of the walls for a glimpse of the symbol that had disappeared.

"Guys," Mavis tapped her comm. "I've got most of the Balmerans somewhere safe. I can see the sky from where we are too—what's happening? The others are meeting up—"

" _Stay there!_ " Shiro ordered sharply, Mavis stopped. " _Keep the Balmerans underground. We're up against another robobeast like the ones from before but—"_

" _It's too strong!"_ Pidge shouted. " _We can't get a single hit in! It's kicking our butts!_ "

Mavis cursed under her breath. _Never a damn break. I'd like to give the designer behind these things a piece of my damn mind._ "Where are—"

" _We don't want to lead it to where you are,_ " Hunk said quickly. " _The Balmerans and you will be in danger. But guys, I think we're—yikes!_ "

Mavis winced at the screech that filled the comm. Static shut her out for a moment before a soft click. Allura shouted something muffled and then it cleared out once more. "Guys?"

" _We're heading down to the mine shafts!"_ Shiro said. " _It's the only way we can avoid this thing's reach. Everyone, go! Stay as far away from Mavis' location as possible!_ "

" _Roger that!_ " Pidge responded.

" _We're heading into orbit!_ " Allura responded.

"Shay, I need you to take me to here," Mavis said quickly, showing her the monitor and where Keith, Shiro and Hunk were convening. "Can you get all the other Balmerans to stay here? I don't want them caught in the cross—"

"Of course," Shay said quickly, beginning to run down one of the tunnels. A group of Balmerans broke off and followed her. _Family?_ "Follow me!"

Something glinted in the corner of Mavis' eye. Her heart lurched and her head snapped back around, searching for the source. _Where are you—_

"Mavis?"

"I'm coming!" Mavis shook her head, narrowing her eyes and shooting down after Shay. One of the tunnels opened up, skidding into a steep slope and they slid down the side, coming to sharp halt where the tunnel opened into a massive archway. "I think we're right on top of them—"

"Mavy!" Heavy, armor clad arms clamped down around her and Mavis wheezed. Her feet were plucked off the ground and the world blurred for a short second before Hunk stopped. "Oh, man, it's so good to see you—I'm sorry I let you split up and it's never happening again because leaving you on the planet was terrifying and now there's that beast—Shay! Thank you for bringing her—"

"Too much," Mavis wheezed, patting Hunk's cheek. He deposited her to the ground and Mavis patted her chest, sucking in air before she stood. "Thanks. Miss you too. Don't beat yourself up, my fault."

"Good to know you're alright." Shiro clapped her over the shoulder and Mavis stood to rigid attention, eyes instantly on the older man. "You did great, Mavis. Thank you."

Her heart flooded with pride at his comment. "The other Balmerans are safe back at the meeting point. What exactly is happening?"

Mavis stopped. She turned over her shoulder and paused.

Keith stood with his arms crossed over his chest, eyes trained hard onto a random spot of dirt on the ground—difficult, given it all looked the same. Mavis watched him for a second before she bit her lip and then stretched a hand out to him.

"Fast flying," Mavis said evenly. Keith looked up, his gaze wary and guarded, torn between agitation and a settled calm— _you're really confusing, buddy, I don't know what to do—_ but Mavis had never been the best at expressing herself either. She had Lance. She didn't know what Keith had. _Your anger came from a good place._ "Sweet to know you cared enough to get mad."

"You have a bad tendency to rile people up," Keith said finally.

Shiro chuckled low behind her. _Wonder what that's about._ His hand clasped hers briefly and they shook—a truce, an understanding, she wasn't sure. _But good enough._ "So that thing up there is kicking your asses?"

"Yes," a Balmeran stressed. "What is happening?"

"There's a monster up there that Zarkon sent to destroy us," Keith answered. "It's not _kicking our asses_ , it's just... built well. It's hard to find an opening on that thing."

"A monster?" Shay whispered weakly. "Will Zarkon's savagery never abate? Perhaps... Perhaps our people were never _meant_ to be free."

Mavis flinched. Her eyes went wide at the thought and she clenched her hand into a fist at her side. _There's an entire universe under this guy's control and he's doing things like this to living, breathing people—_

 _I want to do something about it._

" _You just weren't meant for anything."_

"Shay, don't give up," Hunk murmured, eyes pleading. "Zarkon's power grows with every planet he conquers, but it weakens with every being that _fights back_."

"Fight back? Against a monster like _that_?" Shay echoed. " _How?_ "

It just wasn't _right._ It didn't matter that Mavis wasn't some chosen figure or born into this war torn planetary conquest outside her own solar system. History on earth had taught her enough— _morals_ , carried in each of their chests were enough. It was wrong. All of this. And Hunk bringing them here was just the start of the fact that these people had a chance to do something and the heart to do it...

Mavis gripped her wrist.

 _And I can just... I can just make sure they don't die on the way._

"I don't know how," Hunk said surely. "But we can do it... Tell her, Keith."

"Can we?" Keith questioned seriously.

Mavis kicked his foot. Keith's hand shot out and hit her side on reflex.

"Yes, we can!" Shiro cut in, without an ounce of hesitation. "This is our first mission and we're not going to fail. We can beat it. We just need some time to come up with a plan."

"See?" Hunk said. "Told you we can. Thanks, Shiro."

The ground beneath them let out a massive, pained moan. Mavis lurched, steadying herself against Hunk before she righted her feet on the ground. Clumps of dirt and rock crashed down around them and Mavis looked up sharply. "These tunnels aren't going to hold if a monster like the one before comes crashing in guys."

"Do you guys feel that over there too?" Hunk called into the comm.

" _Yeah, we feel it._ " Lance responded back. _"Is Mav with you guys? Mav, are you with—_ "

"Right here," Mavis reassured.

" _It's that sound again,"_ Pidge started, " _What is that?_ "

"The Balmera," Mavis answered grimly, running her fingers against the trembling wall as vibrations shook the floor beneath them. "I've been hearing it nonstop. This thing's in some serious pain."

A fissure appeared along the floor. Mavis jerked her foot aside. _That's new though._

An elderly Balmeran crouched down, pressing her hand to the ground and shutting her eyes in pain. The Balmeran from earlier stood, shaking his head. "The great noise comes from the Balmera itself like she said. Our home... it crumbles beneath our feet. The Balmera is dying."

Mavis stilled at his words. _Dying._ Dying was a dangerous word to anyone—but in her profession, it was a call to arms.

"Is there anything we can do?" Mavis said quickly, feeling for her pouches. "I know... I know it's way too huge to just... _slap_ a bandage on but—there's gotta be something, _right_? A core maybe that needs fixing... does it have a heart? I've got all kinds of stuff that might be able to help—"

" _I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, Mavis,_ " Coran's voice came to life in her ear and Mavis stopped. " _The Balmera is one massive, living organism that gains energy off the crystals it creates and the energy from that. There's no herbal remedy that can cure something like that. Its energy is draining right now as we speak._ "

Mavis pulled up her monitor with the castle's. The others gathered around and a heated screen showed the entire planet and its core, the red energy centering at the heart of it steadily receding into cold, lifeless blue.

" _How does that happen?_ " Pidge murmured.

" _It was a give and take relationship of energy between Alteans and the Balmera. Removing crystals is like removing a vital part of the mighty beast. It needs time to regenerate to stay healthy, but the Galra's greed has cost this might beast its life..._ "

"An endless blood donation," Mavis ran a hand over her helmet, frowning at the monitor. "There's no way we can... jump start the planet again? Give it some kind of energy boost like a defibrillator?"

" _We'd need an entire planet's worth of energy for that,"_ Coran said gravely. " _I'm afraid we don't have that, my dear. Or a...defibber?_ "

"Defibrillator."

"So what's going to happen?" Hunk questioned worriedly.

" _Its core will collapse, destabilizing the entire skeletal structure. Anything or anyone remaining on the Balmera at that point will be crushed into dust!_ " Coran explained.

"How long before the core collapses?" Shiro questioned.

" _Probably a matter of hours._ " Coran said. " _The might organism willingly gives itself to all, but not all return its kindness."_

Mavis drifted her fingers against the heavy walls. _Give and give and never get back._

"I have the Balmerans all gathered together," Mavis said quietly, pressing her head to the wall and glancing back to her group. They met her eyes in silent understanding.

" _Our time is short. But it will be possible._ " Allura said in response to her words. " _We'll evacuate the planet. We need to get all the Balmerans to the Castle of Lions before the planet implodes._ "

"That sounds like a good plan," Hunk reasoned, turning the monitor so Allura's face appeared. "But how do you plan on landing the Castle with that monster-thingy on the surface?"

"They're gathered here," Mavis said, tapping her monitor. "There's flat land all for miles on the surface. If we can just get them all inside as quickly as possible..."

" _We'll need a distraction._ " Pidge chimed in.

"We'll engage the beast in our lions," Shiro finished. "With it distracted, Allura and Coran will land the castle and Mavis will help load all of its citizens."

Mavis' heart pounded loud in her chest. Keith tensed beside her but she kept her shoulders squared and eyes hardened. _I can do this. I won't be useless._

" _Or!_ " Lance said loudly. " _We could load all the Balmerans into our lions a few at a time and shuttle them to the ship! No engaging ferocious laser-eye guy, no Mav running on the earth with lasers shooting everywhere—sounds good, right? How long would it take, Coran?_ "

" _Days? Weeks?_ "

"We only have hours," Keith finished. "We should just take it down, end it there."

"Look, we don't need to beat this thing," Shiro said clearly. "We just need to bait it away from the ship. Provoke and evade."

"Okay, here's the thing," Hunk said, "I'm worried that we'll be too good at the provoking part and _not so good_ at the evading... But if this is what it takes to save Shay and everyone on the planet, then I'm in."

"...Hunk," Mavis began, a ting of awe in her voice. "...she's really lucky, isn't she?"

"It's not like that!"

"Can you contact the other Balmerans?" Keith turned to Shay. "They're mostly gathered where you guys left them, right?"

"I can," Shay said slowly. "But I know not what they will say. They agreed to come in the idea that it would be safer, not that it would mean... _leaving_. This planet is our home..."

" _It's the only option,_ "Allura said. " _I'm coming down._ "

" _Princess, no! It's too dangerous_ —"

" _Mavis can't lead these people out on her own,_ " Allura said firmly. Mavis tensed. _"Healing and taking care of the injured, I won't let her do it alone._ "

" _But Mavis is already here_ ," Pidge stressed. " _If you come down, that thing will spot your pod and blow it to pieces_!"

" _Let me worry about that_ ," Allura said smoothly. " _You just focus on keeping that creature distracted._ "

Her screen went blank and Mavis shut her monitor off, turning to Shay. "Let's go to the rest of them. We need to make this as smooth as possible for Allura."

Shay hesitated before nodding, her family coming along behind her. Mavis turned on her heel to the others, inhaling sharply before she gave them a curt nod. "I'll do things from my end. You guys be safe out there, okay?"

"I'm sorry to have to leave you like this one more time," Shiro patted her shoulder and Mavis tried to suck as much strength from him as possible. "We're counting on you, Mavis."

" _Hunk, tell Shay to take care of my buddy!_ " Lance screeched over the comm.

Mavis opened her mouth to respond, but something heavy was shoved into her chest and she stumbled back a step, hands coming up quickly to catch the item. Cool metal seeped in through her uniform's gloves. Mavis stopped, eyes wide at the jagged dagger now sitting in her grip, a small emblem pressed into the hilt glowing softly. Her head snapped up to Keith and he pressed the dagger firmer into her hands.

"You don't have a bayard," Keith said roughly. "Or any weapon. That needs to change, so hold onto that."

"Keith," Mavis began, eyes wide in disbelief. "Where did you—"

"I want it back," Keith said sharply. "No matter what. It's probably worth a lot more than you so no exceptions."

Mavis stilled, staring at the dagger, heavy but smooth in her hands. She ran a thumb over it. "I don't think I've ever told you, huh?"

The Balmera let out one heaving, heart wrenching wail and she gripped it tight, securing it snugly into her belt and looping it around once more for extra caution. Mavis looked up and met Keith's searching gaze with a small grin.

"I never break my promises."

* * *

" _Mavis, I am heading toward your location as we speak!_ "

" _Allura, look out!_ "

Mavis steadied herself against the tunnel mouth. "Ready and waiting, Prin—Allura. There's a huge group with me now but whether or not they'll go—"

" _I'll handle it,"_ Allura promised. There was a flash of energy shooting through the sky above her. Mavis flinched, gripping tight to the massive rock wall and the Balmerans behind her murmured in fear. " _Approaching the ground!_ "

Mavis was several layers up from the ground floor. Networks of tunnels came back to this center opening where she'd been moments before. Dozens of Balmerans were huddled in the tunnels behind her, gathered together by Shay's call, but no more than that.

Something zipped past her. Mavis came to the edge and a cloud of dust dispersed as Allura landed safely, dismounting from the hover she'd taken down. "Grounded!"

She flashed Mavis a hand for signal and disappeared into the tunnel where Shay and her family were waiting. Mavis bit her lip, Keith's dagger snug and fitting nicely against her hip as she began to count numbers in her head. She stopped at ten and then quickly switched to the items in her pouch, going through the uses, the chemicals, the workings behind the plants she'd been researching so far and how they could help— _can I really sedate an entire planet of Balmerans and haul them onto the ship? Be real, Mav._

Mavis turned at a flicker of light. Her heart lurched. _The symbol?_

Blue energy began to crackle along the ground. Her eyes went wide and she jolted, rocking unsteadily back against the tunnel as her friends fought fiercely above her. Another laser pierced the air, followed by the massive beam from Blue's mouth. _What is—_

" _Balmerans, this is Princess Allura of Altea. You don't know me, but I am here to help. I refuse to watch you die. For I come from planet Altea, a planet that has long been destroyed by the Galra. But I refused to give up. And now, you all have the same choice. You can decide now to devote your lives to making sure this never happens to another planet._ " Her voice rang out loud and clear, emotions carried through each word and _breath_. Mavis was left to stare at the glowing blue beneath her feet in wonder while the Balmerans around her shifted, beginning to stand.

" _I am eternally sorrowful for what has happened to your planet. But I beg you, do not let its dying be in vain. Honor the Balmera's death by refusing to give up. Join me in my fight against the Galra._ "

 _This is what it means,_ Mavis raised her head to the sky, watching as the lions zipped like lightning and the ground beneath her trembled. _This is what they can do._

" _What can you do?"_

"Young Mavis," a heavy hand landed on her shoulder and Mavis stopped, turning around. "We're ready to come with you."

Mavis touched Keith's dagger and nodded. "Let's go then."

 _Something. I don't care what._

"Coran, triangulate our position! This is your landing zone!" Allura ordered. "Mavis, above me—have them begin to make it to the surface, the ones below will follow!"

"On it!" Mavis shouted back, hurrying to help the Balmerans haul the ladders from out of the tunnels and toward the openings so the Balmerans below could begin their ascent. "Just make it to the surface, okay guys? Fast but careful. If anyone's hurt, I can do quick first—healing, quick healing and finish at the top."

The Balmerans around her nodded, beginning to climb toward the surface of the tunnel. Allura's hovercraft shot up beside her, the princess pausing to reach out a hand. "We'll wait on the top for everyone else, let's go."

Mavis reached out to grab her hand. Dozens of Balmerans already piling onto the surface and Allura shifted so they could balance their weight. Mavis risked one quick glance below to gauge how far along the rest were and something flashed—

A long, drawn out wail rocked the entire planet. The ground beneath her feet lurched and Allura's eyes went wide. "The Balmera—"

Everything around them rumbled. Mavis jolted, the entire ground beneath her crumpling and giving way as tunnels began to collapse. Layers of earth broke free, tumbling down in massive heaps and smashing ladders, piling over other Balmerans and—

"Mavis!" Allura screamed.

Mavis felt her weight drop. Allura lunged for her, fingers brushing just past her communicator. The bracelet tugged free and Mavis felt her hair flutter from the ponytail tucked beneath her helmet.

The ground shattered.

Mavis fell.

" _Allura?_ " Lance shouted. " _What's happening—"_

Falling was an easy process.

Mavis had felt it before.

Brown, heavy tones blurred before her eyes. The sulfur colored gas clouds curling tight around the Balmera shifted above her in the sky. Another laser beam shot past, red flared. Everything blurred in slowed time as Mavis felt her body fall and fall and _fall,_ layers racing past her and rocks tumbling.

 _Am I going to die?_ Mavis thought briefly. _How far up was I again? What about the Balmerans? It just started to go right... Allura was so inspirational—_

 _Dying on the first go kinda sucks._

" _I want it back._ "

" _You never keep your promises."_

Mavis lurched. Her fingers scrambled against her hip. Keith's knife came free and Mavis let out a shout, forcing her entire weight into the fall as she slammed her hand into the crumbling wall beside her. Her feet shot out, skidding into the clumps of dirt. Jagged faultiness appeared all around her, arching and weaving and she dug the knife in deeper, falling in time with it as her arms began to scream in protest from the abuse, her feet ached—her helmet smashed hard against a falling rock and it tumbled free, letting her ponytail fly loose—

A jagged ledge of rock jerked out. Mavis's back hit it, _hard._ Her face kissed the earth and she heaved, all air escaping her lungs from the force of the staggered impact.

 _BREATHE._

Static echoed in her ear. Time was crucial. Mavis ran through a mental checklist, her free hand shakily feeling along her legs. _Not broken._ She felt herself, checked her mind, checked her pulse, her vitals, feeling along her major points and touching tender joints—

 _Alive._

Her left hand clutched tight to Keith's knife, refusing to let go. Her entire body shook against the ground and then slowly, with careful tenderness, Mavis rolled onto her side and then pushed herself up onto her knees.

 _Count._

 _Alive._ Mavis reminded herself. _Escape broken. Balmerans trapped now. Ladders crushed. Need to get them to the top. How?_

Mavis weakly turned her throbbing neck, head heavy. All around her tunnels had caved in. A massive archway of rock still curved above her, sledges of dirt where they might be able to climb up could work. Her eyes turned down. Still layers to go. Dozens of Balmerans helping each other out of the wreckage. Mavis sucked in a sharp breath.

 _What can I do?_ Mavis thought miserably. She reached for the remaining communicator on her ear, grunting when nothing but static met her. _What can I do? What can you do, damn it? Mavis, think for once you piece of shit! These people still have lives to live worth way more than yours—_

Mavis bowed her head to the ground between her arms. _Think. Think. Think. What can you—_

" _Nothing."_

No super powers like Allura. No training beyond combat and intensive medical. She couldn't _heal_ this planet. No magical, massive lions to come to her aid and call so she could fight and protect—

" _Fuck!_ " Mavis cried, slamming her hand against the ground. "Why? _Why—_ "

She blocked the floodgates about to fall apart in her mind. _Stop. Stop going there. Mr. West. Lance. Pidge. Hunk. Keith. Shiro. Allura. Coran. Maven. Mr. West. Lance. Pidge. Keith. Hunk—stop thinking about that!_

Something warm pushed against Mavis' fingertips. For a moment her heart stopped, wondering if she'd been delusional thinking she'd come out without any broken bones or open wounds. Her eyes fluttered open.

A soft, golden emblem came to life beneath her palms.

Mavis froze. Her eyes stared at the haunting symbol, scattered and ghost-like throughout her entire time here on this planet— _what is this?_ She carefully peeled her hands away and the emblem seemed to pulse against the ground, glowing brighter as it illuminated the edges of her fingers.

"What are you?" Mavis whispered.

The Balmera cried out. Explosions rocketed the air above her and the ground trembled. A Balmeran shouted a few feet away and Mavis heard the archway above her crack.

The symbol pulsed.

Mavis stretched her fingers, eyes glowing softly against the light and then her fingertips pushed into the warm earth.

And for a moment—bliss.

Her entire body flooded with warmth. It felt liquid and smooth, like honey running through her veins. Mavis lurched against it, eyes growing round as it warmed her all the way to her fingertips and through her head, curling around her heart like a warm, soft hand and then—

 _Voices._

A flood of them. A storm. They rushed into her head, pouring through without any mercy. Some whispered. Shouted. Screamed. Sang. Laughed. Called, with tones of pure happiness. They spoke in a thousand languages she couldn't understand, words and tones and voices all unable to be processed because they spoke in thousands of them—for a moment, she thought she even heard Galran or Altean before it broke through and then her mind cleared, as though someone had pulled the curtains aside for light to filter through.

A language she could understand and a voice she didn't know spoke into her head.

" _Life to take,"_ it sang, _"lives to give."_

" _Will you give?"_

For some strange, inexplicable reason, Mavis' eyes filled with tears.

" _Thank you."_

The arch above her gave way. Balmerans screamed.

Liquid fire burned through her veins and Mavis wondered if she'd caught on fire amidst it all, something shouting and piercing her head with a scream— _oh, that's me._

And then it all went black.

* * *

 **I'm rlly sorry to leave it at a cliffhanger but if u forgive me I promise the next update will actually be next week and it's not a lie because I need to finish the aftermath and the good stuff :')**

 **A bunch of things introduced into the chapter that might seem a bit—holy shit, what the hell? But it'll all come full circle in its own way! Gotta add something new to give it its own twist, and after some mulling, I think this is it for Mavis and her participation here in the plot to really begin to change a bit. Season 8 is soon and I wanted to get this update out ASAP so this note will be short and the next one will be much proper.**

 **THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR PATEINCE. Cannot thank you enough for waiting with these sporadic updates and giving this fic so much support even though the chapter count is so low, thank you so much for loving and taking the time to read it and being interested in Mavis' character. She's a favorite and I'm excited to see her grow through all the stuff that's to come before her and her relationship development with Keith and Lance and in thought of recent events, I'm contemplating something new with this story that I'll mull on and we'll see how it goes. But thank you so much again for your patience with this update and for following, favoriting, and reviewing it means the absolute world.**

 **SORRY FOR THE PORBABLY SHIT TON OF MISTAKES, I TYPED REALLY FAST THIS TIME AND MIGHT'VE MISSED A LOT I WILL GO BACK AN EDIT, AH.**

 **THANK YOU FOR READING I LOVE U ALL MWAH.**

 **Marshmellow-**

 **-OUT!**


	6. I thought about you

**Me and my dirty lies, here it is guys!**

 **I do not own Voltron.**

* * *

Of the Stars and You

Chapter Six:

I thought about you

* * *

Mavis finds one piece to a larger puzzle. Keith takes steps toward an unknown. Lance dreams of waves lapping at his feet and of past talks. A boy watches the stars and waits.

* * *

The grease from her fingers smeared onto the textbook.

She grimaced, noticing the spot. Mavis' eyes darted apologetically upwards and Adam didn't even flinch.

" _Not so different, right?"_ he prodded, pushing another stack of books toward her. Mavis eyed them thoughtfully.

Ripped open bags of fast food take out with nearly demolished fries and crumpled wrappers left to attest to the feast held. Adam made a mental note to actually _cook_ her something next time or at least take them to some kind of acai place or salad bar. He licked salt off his fingers and reached for another paper box, unfolding it and grabbing chopsticks to dig into the pad thai.

He was a busy guy, cooking could come next round.

 _I'll pack Takeshi's protein bars next time too._ Adam resolved. He tapped the textbooks again and Mavis looked up, chopsticks gripping a wave of noodles to her lips. The heavy book in her other hand propped open for her to read.

" _Only cause I read it before,"_ Mavis agreed finally. She chomped the noodles down in massive time and chewed, swallowing loudly before she reached for the soda. Adam handed her water instead. _"But space is a different ball park, ain't it?"_

" _It is,"_ Adam conceded. _"Think you're up for the challenge?"_

She licked her lips. Mavis' eyes searched the books, darting back to the textbooks. Her toes rubbed over each other before she rubbed one foot behind her ankle. She looked back to Adam.

" _Got nothing else to do."_

Adam glanced to his watch. They had a few hours before the library would close. He had classes to teach all through the morning and afternoon tomorrow and a pilot simulation he had to help sit through and critique...

" _Say,"_ Adam played with the box of noodles and glanced to the teen in front of him over the rim of his glasses. Mavis was juggling reading and eating along with breathing at the same time, flipping to the next page. _"Would you like to see something cool tomorrow?"_

" _Another open heart surgery?"_ Mavis questioned. She choked on the water and mindfully pushed the book away.

Adam played with his watch. Clean, ridiculously nicer than anything he'd owned prior and probably more expensive too. Sleek handles, and the passing of the moon phases against the clock face. Takeshi had bought it for him for his birthday last year. His lucky watch.

He rubbed the sides.

" _The place I work,"_ Adam started. _"Remember?"_

" _The school,"_ Mavis said.

" _The place,"_ Adam said. _"Where we give birth to a new generation of explorers and trailblazers."_

Her nose scrunched up. _"You make it sound like some kind of human farm."_

Adam laughed. Her lips curled up and she flipped another page, scribbling down more notes onto her already crowded pages. Adam felt a small flush of pride and adjusted his glasses.

" _Would you like to visit with me? Tomorrow, I mean. We can study in one of the halls and maybe you can even spend the night."_ Mavis' eyes darted back to him, startled. He sensed the growing unease and hoped all of Takeshi's pillow talk about his soothing voice weren't just to coax him back to bed after all. _"You can even see what being a pilot would be like. The mess hall serves pretty good food, you'd get all your vegetables tomorrow too—"_

" _Would I be,"_ Mavis stopped. She stared at the book in her hands and then rubbed the back of her head. _"I dunno. Would it be_ okay _for me to go—"_

" _Yes,"_ Adam said immediately. She looked up, a little hooked. Adam tugged a bit harder. _"Just a little field trip. You can get a feel for the place."_

Mavis stared hard at the crowded desk. She smoothed out a wrinkled wrapper and then folded it up again.

" _Okay."_

Adam's heart soared.

" _Only if it's not too much trouble—"_

" _It won't be,"_ Adam promised. Mavis' shoulders relaxed and she tugged the jacket around her a little tighter. Adam grabbed a bottle of soda and twisted the cap, relief flooding through his veins. _"You'll love it."_

Mavis sat there in silence, staring absently at the table while Adam took a sip.

" _Do I get to meet your boyfriend?"_

Adam spat out his soda onto the table. The librarian who'd been eyeing them for the past hour finally shot up, storming toward them with a ruler in her hands and eyes meant to kill.

Mavis grinned.

* * *

" _I think you can be anything you want to be."_

* * *

" _Will—_ you— _make_ —the— _vow_?"

* * *

Mavis had never really believed in heaven.

A higher power of some sort she could get behind. God? Sure. Some kind of deity who reigned and knotted all their ropes and painted their paths? Perhaps. An afterlife or reincarnation? It'd be nice.

But there were other things to worry about.

 _But if this is what heaven's supposed to feel like, I think I can get behind that._

It was wonderfully warm.

It pressed against her skin like soft beams of sunlight. It reminded her of library windows and sitting hunched over the desk so it could warm her cheeks and back. Made her think of the hazy sun stretching out across endless land for miles, Lance with his hands behind his back laughing. Soft, warm sandy beaches, grains curling between her toes and warming her feet. All wonderful things.

It felt solid. Steady beneath her, as though promising she could never fall. _I like that._

" _Come and visit again."_

Colors blurred in her vision. Mavis felt her brows furrow. The warmth enveloped her whole, making her feel almost weightless. _Who said that again?_ It'd been Lance's mom, hadn't it? They had that break a few months back... She'd visited his hometown with him...

 _What did you want to do again?_

" _I want it back."_

Something cool pressed against her fingertips, barely pressing into her skin. She could feel the faint sharpness just a hair away, threatening to cut. _Remember?_

The colors swirled together. They flashed, dazzling and morphed. Mavis watched it all dance beneath her eyelids, changing, clashing—but just a bit out of reach. They stayed hazy, blurred, as though something had fogged the glass and she couldn't wipe it away with her own hands no matter how hard she tried.

" _If this is what you seek,"_ a voice so unknown and familiar all at once spoke loud and clear within her mind, resounding, as though several voices were speaking all at once, _"then find us."_

"Mavis, it's time to wake up."

The colors pulled from her vision and black filled every space.

Then light.

Soft fingertips were pressed by the corners of her eyes. Mavis could feel the smooth, gentle hands, emitting a soft warmth against her cheeks and temple. Her eyes fluttered open and shut, the dazzling, warm color light bleeding into her vision before she managed to open her eyes once more to the world.

"Allura," Mavis tried to speak, her name slurred out past her lips.

Allura's expression was soft. Her entire helmet seemed to glow, that beautiful, warm Altean blue that Mavis was beginning to associate more and more with nothing but good and life coloring everything around her. It took Mavis a moment to realize the hardened earth at her back instead of jagged, falling rock, and Allura's lap beneath her head, keeping her propped up and safe in Allura's hands.

"Not dead," Mavis slurred.

"No," Allura breathed out, eyes shining with relief and so much _energy._ What was that? _Did Allura always look this magical?_ "Not dead at all. Thank the Gods, you're going to be just fine, Mavis. It is going to be all right."

Mavis hadn't felt this warm since she fell asleep against the white sand on Veradera's best beach. _Or Adam's couch._

"What happened?" Mavis croaked.

Every ounce of her seemed to weigh triple its size. She could hardly curl her fingers without feeling as though she were moving through liquid cement. Fatigue drained every available crevice, but that pulsing warmth was doing funny things to her and she couldn't figure out what yet. "The Balmerans? ...The... the Balmera?" _Robobeast. Everyone..._

A mental checklist tried to sort itself through her brain. Everything had been falling so quickly around her—no broken bones. She might have a concussion, but that needed to be addressed later. No puncture wounds. She couldn't even smell any blood or feel any scrapes—just the heavy, _heavy_ fatigue weighing deep into her bones. _Why am I so tired?_

Allura gently raised her head up a bit. Mavis' eyes drifted downwards.

"The Balmerans and this Balmera," Allura said resolutely. "And you, are going to be just fine."

The soft Altean blue hadn't been some imaginary, post-near-death glow. Allura and herself were bathed in it, the entire area around them erupting forth in that beautiful light. Balmerans were gathered in a circle around them, hands pressed into the earth as everything for as far as Mavis could see simply _glowed._ Energy radiated off the beams in waves, rippling across the entire planet like a wave lapping over the entire shore.

Mavis might've been an idiot on some occasions, but it didn't take a genius to realize something completely and wholly _ethereal_ was happening in front of her.

"You're doing this," Mavis said, staring at the gentle glow of Allura's Altean marks beneath her eyes. Allura smiled. "You're..."

Mavis hands skimmed over Keith's blade and touched the humming ground beneath them.

"You're healing this planet," Mavis said quietly. "Aren't you?"

"I am merely paying back a debt," Allura said. "That has long since been overdue."

The princess' eyes flickered for a moment. Mavis could suddenly see the clear signs of fatigue that were beginning to wear on her and she struggled, trying to steady her palms against the ground. "Allura, are you ok— _woah._ "

A wave of nausea rushed up to meet her. Allura managed to catch her head before it slammed back into the dirt and Mavis blinked blearily at her fuzzy vision. Her ponytail tickled her cheek. _Is this cause I got hit by rocks? That's right... the robobeast—_

"Voltron is fine," Allura said surely. Her brows furrowed and she exhaled slowly, glancing upwards. "It looks as though... they've won... but you need... to rest—"

"I could say the same to you," Mavis braced a hand on Allura's shoulder and struggled onto her knees, feeling Allura's grip on her steady as though to keep herself upright as well. "Shit, why am I so—"

"Mavis," Allura warned. "You are very weak right now. I wouldn't have been able to make it in time if you hadn't infused so much quintessence—"

"Quin—" Mavis stopped. "That... That funny _aura_ stuff in the books? The thing that makes the lions go _rawr_? What are you talking about—"

"It is the life energy that runs through every living thing," Allura corrected. "It is precious, uncontrollable energy. I believe... I believe somehow you were able to transfer much of yours into the Balmera, just for a moment into that area to keep it from collapsing in and crushing..."

"Me." Mavis said. " _Me._ You're telling me I did some funny magic trick to," Mavis pressed her free hand to her mouth to make sure she didn't throw up from the wave of nausea. "To help..."

The memory of a golden colored insignia flared behind her eyes. Her head stung, a sharp prick against the back of her neck and then nothing all at once.

Allura winced. Her body trembled and Mavis steadied her instead. "I don't know what you're talking about, but we can figure it out later. You need to focus more on this—"

"Done," Allura breathed.

The gentle light illuminating the entire planet and the massive ship above them slowly began to fade. Bit by bit it receded into the spot Allura sat until it finally disappeared without a trace. Allura's markings glowed and then she slumped forward, nearly toppling Mavis over with the action. "Allura!"

"Princess! Young Mavis!" Strong arms wrapped around both of them and Mavis wheezed out a sigh of relief. Shay braced them steady. "Are you alright?"

"Did it work?" Allura murmured.

Shay's family pulled their hands from the ground, fingers touching the surface of their living planet with nothing but love and reverence. Their gazes rose upwards to Allura. "Yes. The Balmera lives. It thanks you."

Something warm buzzed beneath Mavis' feet before it faded. Shay's brother turned toward them with a smile, "Both of you."

" _Find us."_

Mavis winced. Her fingers pressed into her temple, trying to ease the sharp stab of pain. She'd read plenty about Alteans being swiftly attuned to the life force of so many things around them, trying to understand what she could in case Allura or Coran ever needed help or a blood transfusion but...

 _What happened?_ Mavis pulled her hand away and stared at the scraped up palm, flakes of dried blood staring back where cuts had all but healed. _What did I do?_

" _Your quintessence."_

"Mav!"

Mavis' head smacked into an armored breastplate. Her breath caught in her throat and she wheezed, long limbs toppling over her in one messy heap as she crashed to the floor and Lance was suddenly screeching in her ear—"Mav, Mav, Mav, oh my gosh you're alright! Holy quiznack! Did you see that? _Did you see that?_ I can't believe we just—you—everyone—Allura—that was insane—"

"Air," Mavis wheezed. But her fingers weakly locked around Lance's neck and she tried to laugh, relief and _so much relief_ flood her chest and her heart. _We did it. We made it out alive, no one is hurt—_ "You were a total hero, buddy."

Mavis' fingers started to weakly feel around him, prodding Lance's sides through gaps in armor. He started chuckling, trying to nudge her away with his elbows while she checked for wounds and vitals. "Hey! Come on, I'm _way_ better off than you are. I can't fail on our first missions as liberators of the universe just like that, can I?"

"No," Mavis agreed. Her palms patted Lance's cheeks and she pulled an eye lid back. "But just got to make sure."

The rest of the Paladins had skidded to a halt around them. Hunk took a knee beside Allura and Coran, making sure she could sit up while Shiro watched, eyes steady on the robobeast in case it decided the battle hadn't been won yet. Pidge was wheezing, wiping sweat from her brow as she mumbled something about never wanting to see another laser again.

"That was quite a show," Coran said, wiping heavy trails of sweat off his brow. "Princess, are you alright?"

"I will manage," Allura said warmly.

Lance squeezed whatever air she had left inside her. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Mavis squeezed him back as hard as she could. The smell of sweet vanilla and sharp cinnamon mixed in with the metallic tang of the lions. She breathed it in and counted it as nothing but a victory.

"Me too," Mavis said warmly. Lance began to laugh, nearly rocking them back and forth as he started to babble about the battle. Her mind was reeling. The battle. The Balmerans. Quintessence. The voice that left her head without a memory of what it had sounded like and nothing but the words left behind. Everyone—their first rescue mission and liberation—

"Me too," Mavis said shakily. _Just take it one thought at a time—_

They'd done it.

Mavis' fingers closed around cool metal, warming it beneath her fingers. Her eyes darted to the shining blade over Lance's fluffy brown tufts and she strained, reaching for it with her fingertips before she barely snagged the hilt. _You helped save my life too, didn't ya—_

"Mavis."

Mavis couldn't help the sluggish grin curling over her lips. The dry air tugged at her ponytail, slapping it into the side of her face as the little bit of sunlight left caught on Keith's helmet. She could see the new scuffs and scrapes on his armor and Mavis patted Lance's back to give her some room. Mavis turned, weakly raising the knife up toward him.

"Returned it," Mavis said limply. Keith's fingers slowly closed over the hilt, gingerly taking it from her hand so he wouldn't slice her palm open. His gloved fingers brushed against hers, calloused knuckles and gnarled fingers. "Kept my promise, right?"

Keith's eyes skimmed the blade, running a single thumb along the side. It almost seemed to glow in his hold and he carefully tucked it back against his side. Keith's hand landed on top of her head, rocking it back and forth and making her dizzy.

"Yeah," Keith said quietly. "Not bad."

Mavis felt almost delirious with joy.

The ground beneath them groaned. The earth shuddered, straining and straining as a massive fissure cracked like thunder. Everyone's heads swung around, Coran gathering Allura into his arms as they all turned and Mavis felt her stomach drop so fast to the floor, she was almost sure she'd been about to throw up.

"Oh, no," Pidge whispered.

Metal groaned, sliding against each other as the massive monster slowly began to haul itself upright. Long, torn, crackling arms were useless at its sides. Metal jaws _clanked_ and the robobeast tipped it's head back, gears sliding until it's mouth fell open and a bright, glistening beam of energy erupted along the sides of its mouth.

" _Thank you."_

Mavis jolted.

Sharp flashes of glittering light shot forth from the ground. Heavy slabs of glistening, clear colored crystals stained glassy blue began to climb and climb and climb. The robobeast groaned, feet becoming encased in the shards of crystal as it reached higher and higher until—

A glacier of crystals remained, encasing the entire creature as though it were no more than a display.

"No way..." Hunk murmured, eyes round with awe.

"The Balmera just saved us," Coran said aloud, the ringing thought coming to life in Mavis' mind.

"It wanted to pay back what was given," Mavis said as Lance slung an arm behind her, bringing her other arm over his shoulder to help her stand. Keith braced her back before giving it a steady pat.

"Look at the crystals!" Allura gasped.

All across the entire rocky field of the planet, the glittering, teal colored crystal erupted forth. They spotted the planet's surface like grass, shimmering and clustering together as though flowers had just been planted and finally seen the light of day.

"It's beautiful," Mavis murmured. She jumped, shuffling through her pockets and patting her cheeks, "Aw, shi—quiznack, my helmet. I lost it in the fall—"

"The _what_?" Keith and Lance said sharply.

Mavis used her hand and pushed Lance's head down. She angled his helmet just the right way and hit the button on the side, capturing an image of the newly revived Balmera.

"Got to log this stuff down," Mavis said. "First liberation mission – success."

Pidge perked up, catching onto her idea and she quickly began weaving through the other crystals, snapping away and finding the best angles for them to remember. Hunk's knees hit the floor and he pressed his cheek to the dirt, rubbing soothing circles with his palms. "Who's a good Balmera? You are. Who ate the big bad monster? _You did._ Yes, you did."

"Dude," Keith crossed his arms over his chest. " _What_ are you doing?"

Hunk paused. "What? It wuvs my scwatches."

Mavis took a page from Hunk's book. "You should say thanks too, Dropout. This big beauty just saved all our asses."

Her hand reached down to pat the rough surface.

Mavis felt the familiar pain of having her palm split open.

" _Ow!_ What the fu— _quiznack?_ " Mavis yelped, jerking her hand roughly away from the surface. Dark red dribbled from her palm and down her armor. Mavis examined the cut in sharp surprise, glancing back to the ground as she grumbled and stopped.

"You alright, Mav?" Lance hoisted her arm back over his shoulder. "What happened—hey, you cut yourself!"

"Yeah, the ground just..." Mavis trailed off. Keith followed her gaze and bent down, fingers nimbly plucking the jagged, now slightly red crystal from the ground. "Cut me..."

"It looks different," Keith commented, turning it over in the fading light. The teal and pale blue crystals didn't match the strange, golden hue of the one in his fingers. A bit of crimson pricked the top where it had stabbed her. "Just a stray rock, maybe?"

" _Find us."_

Mavis warily held out her palm. Keith settled it carefully onto her uninjured hand and Mavis turned it between her fingertips.

"I say this calls for a celebration!" Hunk cheered, thrusting his arms into the air. "Rock and bug stew for everyone! Come on guys, let's get this party started!"

The Balmerans around them broke off into cheers, recognizing the sound of triumphant victory. Mavis let the sweet sound ring through her ears, Lance tucked right by her side and Keith observing. Shiro said something beside them and Coran and Shay were helping Allura back to the castle.

"You alright, Mav?" Pidge questioned, coming to stand beside her as she shuffled through newly taken photos.

"Yeah," Mavis said absently. She pocketed the crystal. "But I might need your help, Pidge."

Pidge perked up. Her eyes went round in curiosity and Mavis rubbed a finger against her cut palm, glancing from the planet to Allura's back.

"There's something I think we need to look into."

* * *

"So you're telling me," Lance said, very slowly. "That Mav— _our_ Mav, the one sitting right here," Lance shook Mavis' shoulder for emphasis and her head knocked back and forth, "Fell from a giant _cliff—_ "

"I didn't fall _all_ the way—"

"Was crushed by giant rocks—"

"I'm clearly still intact—"

"And somehow _survived,_ " Lance articulated carefully. "Because of this...spirit stuff?"

Allura made a face. The princess was currently propped back against one of the medical bay beds, surrounded by the plushest of pillows the castle had to offer and the mice chittering away at her fingers. They passaged her hands with soft paws, making sure she was alright from the strenuous toll healing the Balmera had taken on her.

"Not _spirit stuff,_ " Coran corrected for them. " _Quintessence._ It's very important! _Extremely_ important. It's the life source that travels through this entire universe, it's the reason you're still kicking!"

Lance and Mavis made faces in return, though hers was a touch more awkward. Glowing wires with fancy circles at the end were taped to her cheeks and below her eyes, another strange headband Coran claimed was some kind of brain broadcasted strapped over her forehead. _"It'll project all your brainy goods for us all to see!"_

The assembled group had been gathered to debrief and debunk the happenings on Balmera. Keith had been helping Pidge load up supplies back onto the ship and checking things over while Hunk and Shay were on the surface below, parting ways before they left in the morning.

Everything glowed a soft Altean blue. The medical bay beeped with the soft sound of foreign machinery, but it was all music to her ears. Familiar. _So, so familiar._ In an entire galaxy filled with the unknown and massive stretches of nothing and star stuff—this, _this_ , Mavis could understand.

 _I just wish it were on better terms._

"At the heart of it all," Shiro said, the voice of reason as he crossed his arms over his chest and examined Mavis. "You're alright. We had no idea you two were close to something so dangerous..."

"But it's not about that," Mavis said, playing with one of the spinning circles. She needed Coran to teach her about more of the tech on this ship as soon as possible. "I landed fine, I got a little banged up, yeah. I _thought_ I was going to get crushed—" Lance whimpered. "But I didn't. I just wanted to know..."

Mavis rubbed her bare feet out of habit. " _How_."

"When I found you," Allura started. "There were several Balmerans making sure no other falling rocks would crush all of you. But above your group had been one massive slab of a Balmeran crystal—gold in color."

Allura glanced to the little gold crystal Keith had picked up. It hovered against the back wall of the room, pressed into a thin vial where it we kept safe. Coran fiddled around with a few buttons, examining it with a critical eye left and right.

"And based on how you were when I found you," Allura continued. "I realized you'd somehow managed to expel an exponential amount of your own quintessence into just that part of the Balmera."

"You gave it enough energy to do what it needed to keep you guys safe," Lance finished. His hand nervously reached for one of Mavis' rubbing it between his larger palms. "That's... cool. Scary. Not really sure how to feel about it. But now Mav is fine and our beautiful princess is safe so—"

"I didn't realize you all could do something like this though," Allura said slowly. "Humans have always seemed... a bit out of touch with their quintessence."

"Agreed," Coran chirped. "You wouldn't happen to have some sort of ancient ritual like ours, perhaps? A dance? One that injects energy into your home planet and—"

"No," Shiro said. "Nothing like that."

"Is it possible it was just a little fluke?" Mavis said hopefully. "Like some... adrenaline high? The Balmera was able to take a bit from..."

Mavis stopped. The metal headband whirred to life and Coran perked up. "No, that's not it. There was... There was this weird symbol I kept seeing on the walls in the tunnels below the surface. I saw it once—here, on the castle in a book but..."

Mavis winced, rubbing at her temple. "I couldn't figure it out. I thought it might be Balmeran in origin then, but when I saw that symbol, everything just... _whooshed_."

"Whooshed," Coran repeated, stroking his chin. "Whoosh is a strange term I am not familiar with, but we can discuss it further! The Balmerans have always been more of an oral linguistic type, trading history through stories and such, so it wouldn't make sense for it to be theirs."

"Could it be Galran?" Shiro questioned quietly. Allura tensed, face looking pinched at the thought. "We already know they're deeply tied to this whole quintessence issue..."

Mavis shook her head. "Pidge and I ran it through her up and coming Galra translator. Couldn't find a single match."

Lance tossed her limp hand between his, staying perky enough for the both of them. Mavis gave his wrist a tap in return and Coran clapped his hands together. "Well! That's exactly why we brought out the brain blaster—"

Mavis grabbed her head in alarm.

"So we can figure this out!" Coran slapped a button on the side of her head and Mavis flinched. "There now, just have a good image in mind of what you want us to see from what happened and maybe we'll be able to get something out of that."

Mavis made a face. Lance looked eager, "It's super easy, Mav. Just think about nice things and concentrate and then whoosh!"

"Whoosh," Coran repeated under his breath. "What a strange, strange thing. _Whoosh_. Is it a verb?"

"No, dude, it's like... uh... a sound?"

Mavis ignored the two of them and shut her eyes. She could feel a faint tickling around the sides of her head like a thin crown of flowers. Mavis inhaled slowly, trying to clear aside the debris and the mess of everything that happened down on the Balmera, slowing her thoughts and trying to stich pieces together.

A thin, holographic image fluttered into view. All eyes but her own turned toward its light. The image projected from her mind shifted, as though bathed in static before it flashed and grew a little brighter.

Lines slowly began to crawl across the holograph. Curves etched in like golden ink against the invisible backdrop. Allura's brows furrowed as Coran made a noise of interest. The image flickered, static reappearing and Mavis furrowed her brows, trying to push the image to the forefront of her brain.

" _Come back and visit again."_

Lance made a soft sound in the back of his throat. A brief flicker of familiar waves crashing against a sandy shore.

"Sorry," Mavis grimaced, rubbing her eye. "I thought about a lot of stuff when it was happening—"

"It's fine," Shiro soothed. "Just focus."

Mavis pushed her mind one more time.

She remembered gold. A warm, flashing light.

" _Find us."_

The symbol came into perfect clarity along the holograph.

"...I have not seen anything like this before," Allura said slowly. She moved to stand, gripping the side of the bed and staring at the symbol with furrowed brows. "Coran?"

"It reminds me of a Centurian band I once listened too," Coran said. "Mavis, have you ever listened to—"

"No."

Mavis inhaled and exhaled with slow steadiness. She tried to keep the symbol on the forefront of her focus, playing around with the edges and the golden lines. "It just kept... _appearing._ I don't really know what it's supposed to mean but... as long as it's not bad, right—"

A sharp, searing pain hammered into the side of Mavis' head. She lurched, nearly toppling off the bed. Lance jumped beside her, hands flying to her shoulders. "Mav! Mav, are you alright?"

"What's wrong, Mavis?" Shiro said quickly, a steadier hand on her shoulder. "Coran, can we take it off?"

"Yes! You need to disconnect the button first—"

A series of lights began to flash on Mavis' screen. Words blurred and blended together. An array of symbols. Static flashed and Mavis gasped, clutching at the metal band around her head when Shiro's hand reached for the side.

"Think about something pleasant!" Coran exclaimed. "If we disconnect while your numbers are so high, there could be a whiplash—nice things! Shall I sing you a song?"

" _Coran!_ "

"I'm sorry, I thought it would help!"

"Mavis, can you hear us?" Shiro demanded. "Nice things. You need to calm down—"

"The beach!" Lance blurted beside her. Mavis kept her eyes screwed shut, hands gripping desperately at the metal band. Shiro struggled to keep her from tearing it off. "Think about the beach? Remember that? It was amazing! We ate so many garlic knots and my mama made so much food for you and everyone..."

Mavis struggled to bring the lapping waves back. She huffed, gasping out in short breaths as the searing, flashing lights blurred beneath her eyes. _What do you want? Who are you?_

 _What are you?_

"Will you make the vow?" Allura murmured.

" _I think you can be so much more than what you think."_

Mavis stopped. Her breathing slowed. She latched onto those words with desperate, sticky fingers. Gripped the letters so hard she feared they would burst.

They stayed steady beneath her fingers.

" _How do you know?"_

" _I just do."_

Shiro's hand fell away from her temple. Mavis brought those words higher and higher to the top of her mind. Veradera's beaches came back in full clarity. But blurred around the edges, creeping back into place, she saw the familiar leather of a couch. A houseplant tucked in the corner. A pot of well-kept orchids. Shelves decorated with awards and frames, books worn down to the cover...

She saw familiar tufts of dark, chocolate brown. A pair of glasses framing kind, _so kind_ eyes.

" _It's nice right? To have someone believe in you like that."_

Mavis opened her eyes, heart finally coming to a slow, steady beat.

Adam's smile stared back at her.

" _Unconditionally."_

"Isn't that," Lance started and then he stopped, clamping his lips shut. Mavis fell silent, keeping her eyes trained hard on the ground as her ears flushed and she gripped her ankle tightly. She reached with her other hand to pull the brain blaster off her head and drop it to her side.

Shiro's back was to her. She could only see the wide, broad slope of his shoulders.

"Adam." Shiro said softly.

"There was Altean in there," Allura said, breaking into the heavy atmosphere that was beginning to grow without another thought. She had no relation to the image present—there was no way she'd know. The holograph flickered out of image and Mavis rubbed the back of her neck. "I caught that much. Several other languages as well. I don't believe Mavis is so versed in them..."

"I'm not," Mavis said grimly. She stood. "That's all I can remember. I'm sorry if it wasn't much help or just made things more confusing... I don't think it'll happen again and maybe it was just... just some weird stroke of luck, right? Some weird little thing that someone out there heard and decided to help out."

Allura didn't look quite convinced but far too tired to argue. "Thank you for what you did, Mavis. You should get some rest too."

"I believe you're the one that needs that more than anyone else," Coran clipped, patting Allura's shoulders and shooting Mavis a wink. "Come now, princess, let's get you settled in. We can debunk this old band craze of Mavis' in a bit."

Mavis made use of that and nodded curtly to all of them, head lowered and refusing to look at Shiro's face where his gaze was still trained on the spot the holograph had been. "I'm going... to get some fresh air."

She barreled past, the door _whooshing_ open to let her slip out. Lance shot up, jogging after her and Coran blinked at the other two in the room.

"Why, there's none of that out there. It's space!"

 _That was such a bad slip up._

Mavis pressed a hand to her mouth, feeling queasy. She kept her eyes hard on the ground, Lance calling something out behind her and she made half an attempt to stop. _Ah. Why did I think about that? Why did I think about that? Especially knowing what happened before he must've left on his mission and how—_

Mavis paled. _He doesn't even know—_

Mavis' face smacked into a solid wall of muscle. Her eyes rolled back, her still noodle-like limbs crumpling and she fell onto her ass with an ugly squawk. Fingerless gloved hands snagged her wrists, holding her half awkwardly so that she didn't totally fall onto the floor, but was caught somewhere between a crouch.

"Eyes up," Keith barked out instinctively. "You don't know who could be coming right at you."

Mavis used what actually came handy sometimes from the Garrison's self defense lessons. Her palms twisted with her wrists, smacking into the inner side of Keith's arms and forcing his grip to loosen.

She fell onto her back with a resounding, dull, _thud._

"I was going to apologize first," Mavis said from the floor. "But you said something dumb like that so I'm not going to anymore."

"Maybe you should watch where _you're_ going," Lance added, ever loyal as he dropped to his knees beside her and winced. "Can't see behind that mullet?"

"My hair isn't even—"

"But I'm sorry anyway," Mavis said pitifully. She slapped her hands over her eyes, refusing to look at anything or anyone else. "I'm wallowing in really bitter self pity and I feel like an absolute mess. You guys worked so hard today to fight that ugly monster and I just made things... _complicated_ apparently. I don't even know where to start—"

"You're rambling," Keith said. He looked at Lance. "She does this when she gets like _this,_ doesn't she?"

" _Duh_ ," Lance said. "Took you long enough to notice."

Mavis groaned from the floor.

"You did what you could, Mav, cheer up!" Lance said happily. "How can you explain some weird... alien voodoo that happened? You can't! Maybe it was some weird, magical fluke. Space seems to be full of magical flukes these days. I mean, we drive flying lions powerful enough to destroy planets. That's crazy, right?"

Mavis nodded weakly.

"I don't know what happened in there," Keith said slowly. "But you're weirdly moody. We just _won_. You helped a lot of those Balmerans escape."

Mavis peeked at Keith between her fingers.

"It doesn't make any sense to me why you're like," Keith gestured to her. "This. Eyes up."

Lance winced. "Was it the brain blaster?"

Mavis grumbled something incoherent from the floor. Keith made a face.

 _That symbol just put me in a really weird place._ Mavis wanted to say. _It made me remember a lot_

 _of stuff I haven't remembered in a really long time. It made me think about things I've been trying not to think about for a long time. It made me feel things I'd forgotten to feel about while we're up here, trapped in space trying to save the world and I can barely keep the ground from crumbling under me._

"Want some food goo?" Lance offered kindly. "Hunk would say a full stomach makes any of this better."

Keith's head turned back toward the med bay door. "Did something happen in there I should know about?"

" _When you start to feel like you're going into those weird places,"_ Mavis stopped, staring at the wide, arching ceilings above them as Adam's warm smile curled behind her eyes. _"Just think of something else. It's hard. I know you feel like that could be the difference between everything, but when it all becomes too much, just think of other things. Things you want to know. To learn, maybe."_

"Dropout, what's your favorite color?"

Keith glanced to her. Lance slapped a hand over his mouth, stifling his laughter.

"My _what?_ "

"Favorite color," Mavis repeated. Her eyes pulled away from her eyes and Lance helpfully grabbed them, playing with them with his own fingers before he settled it back onto her stomach. "Favorite food. Things you like to do? I know enough about Lance to make me want to puke—"

"Hey!"

"But I don't know anything about you," Mavis continued. "We're gonna stuck with each other for a while too, right? You can ask me something too if you want."

Keith looked torn between dragging her back to the medical bay to make sure her brain hadn't exploded after all and humoring her. She tried to appeal to his thin though present sense of humor, waggling her brows from the floor.

 _I don't want to think about those other things._

Lance blew a sigh through his lips, hauling Mavis up onto her feet by her armpits. "Come on, Mav. _Lone wolf Keith_ over here is probably on his way to the training deck to hack at more soldiers—"

"Red."

Mavis and Lance looked at Keith with wide eyes.

Keith tugged the sleeve of his jacket down. He gazed at them in quiet, burly silence. "It's red."

Lance snorted. "Figures."

"Oh, yeah? What's yours then?"

"It's the greatest color in the entire _universe_ —"

"He likes blue."

* * *

" _It's only been one month."_

" _That doesn't account for the nature of anything. We can't stand idly by wondering about the whereabouts of these cadets—"_

" _They have families!"_

" _All but two. And we've already spoken with Commander Holt's wife."_

Slightly calloused fingers played with the mission debriefings he'd swindled out of the office in his lap. A cold, desert wind tugged at charcoal black tufts of hair. The ends lightened out to a strange, brownish sort of shade between black and brown. A mottled color. Half eaten bags of fast food were pushed against his side, quickly growing cold from where he'd abandoned them in favor of his research.

An eerie blue light illuminated the soft, youthful edges of his face. A small beauty mark peeked out from the corner of his left eye, gray irises dull against the computer's glow. He continued to skim through mission reports and anything else he could get his hands on, folding the papers and smoothing them out so he could read it over one more time.

" _Disappearance of five cadets along with the recently found Takeshi Shirogane. Seismic anomaly detected. Research underway to discover origins of the alien aircraft taken into custody at time of disappearance."_

He sighed through his nose, running a hand through his hair. He'd stolen a small cruiser to head out to his usual spot—keys granted generously by the head commander who thought he always did nothing more than give them a good waxing and maintenance—and bit down onto his thumb, staring at the words that hadn't changed at all in these past few weeks.

He flipped the page.

A quiet, almost somber and familiar face gazed back. Tan skin framed by dirty— _paint water_ —hair. A soft expression.

 _Cadet 757. Mavis—_

"I knew you'd be out here."

He bit down sharply on his thumb in surprise. The tang of copper filled his mouth and he glowered, quickly pulling his hand away and folding up the papers roughly, shoving them into his jacket pocket and turning over her shoulder.

The intruder stood carefully at the base of his cruiser. A thin, military issued motorbike was parked only a few feet away, meaning he'd dismounted and walked on foot to reach him in silence. _Figures they'd let you take one out without any trouble._

The desert wind made his normally perfectly styled brown locks fly against his face. Even then it cradled the side of his cheek almost lovingly, pulling out the high, structured cheekbones and sharp jawline. His eyes kept him in place, unreadable as he stared from down below.

He made sure the papers were well hidden within his jacket and then turned, legs swinging over the side of the cruiser. Wind tugged tufts of hair out of his eyes and he felt his lips curl down into a scowl.

"What do you want, Griffin?"

Griffin tucked his helmet under his arm, rocking back on his heels. "You know, as head cadet of our dormitory, _I_ should be asking you what _you_ are doing out here—" he glanced to his watch. The numbers appeared brightly in a holographic display for him to see. "Ten minutes to roll call."

He cocked his head to the side. His fingers worked to change his laptop display from the mission files he was _not_ supposed to be viewing. "Gonna tattle, head boy?"

Griffin made a face. His steps carried him in even strides up closer to the side of his cruiser. Griffin stopped a bit from where his legs dangled over the side and he rubbed the back of his neck, glancing to the side and back to him.

"I was," Griffin started slowly. " _Hoping_ I could convince you to head back with me before _both_ of us get into trouble."

He crossed his ankles over each other, peering down at the taller male with narrowed eyes.

Griffin smiled, all perfect teeth and pretty eyes. His hand reached out and patted the side of his leg and he jerked it aside. Griffin's smile didn't break. "C'mon, man, I'm not your enemy. Let's head back, yeah?"

He hopped off from the top of the cruiser, shutting his laptop and tucking it under his arm. He picked up the half eaten bags of fast food, ignoring the way Griffin was eyeing them in clear disapproval.

"You know, the food at the mess hall has a lot better stuff in it than that—"

"I don't eat it every day," he snapped back, shoving everything back into the cruiser and pulling the keys out.

Griffin cocked his head to the side, eyes holding him in place, "No, but you do head out _here_ almost every day."

Griffin eyed his laptop. "And I know you're not eating back at the Garrison when you're out here."

He closed the trunk of the cruiser with a _slam._ He turned, tipping his chin upwards to face Griffin. Annoyance rippled through him when he didn't even see a speck of irritation on his face, nothing but open, patient eyes and something that looked almost like mirth flickering through those pretty gray-blues.

"You're sure invested in where I go," he said lowly. "What I eat. What I _do_. You've got something to say, Griffin?"

"We're on the same team," Griffin took one step forward, matching him toe-to-toe as he stared down at him. "I _am_ the captain of that team. What my team does in their free time and outside of regulations is well within my interests. Not just that, but as the head cadet of our dorm, I'm _also_ in charge of where our inhabitants are going day in and out."

Griffin paused. His jaw worked, as though contemplating his next words and then he said, with a little less sharpness and "leader" voice, "And I'd like to think I'm also your friend. If there's something on your mind—"

He slapped Griffin's hand from where it'd been reaching for his shoulder. He stepped back, hitting the side door of the cruiser and tugging it open. Griffin's face remained neutral, hiding all emotions behind the sheen of his eyes. "Keep it at teammates, _captain_. As I long as I don't cause any problems, it shouldn't be any business of yours."

"If you'd been caught, it would've put you on academic probation," Griffin's eyes hardened. "I'm not letting you throw away all the work you've put in so far to get here for whatever it is you're trying to do—"

"It's none of your—"

"And I'm not going to let you bring down this _team_ either." Griffin said coldly. His tone hardened, refusing to leave room for argument. "I don't want to see you sneaking out anymore. If it happens again, _someone_ is going to have to bring it up. Is that clear?"

He didn't respond, sliding into the cruiser and shoving the key into the ignition.

Griffin's hand gripped the door. He glowered, refusing to meet his eyes as he burrowed deeper into his jacket. Griffin's expression left no room for argument.

"Is that _clear_ Le—"

"Crystal." He pushed the cruiser into action, hearing the engine rev to life before it settled out for a clean hum. Griffin stepped back, lips twisting downwards and he turned the vehicle back toward the Garrison, not even sparing him another glance.

"Mav," Griffin started, a bit of exasperation lining his voice. "I'm not your—"

He shot off without looking back.

"...enemy."

Griffin stared at the retreating vehicle before he roughly rubbed the back of his head, tousling the hair he'd stupidly worked to smooth out before coming out here. Griffin muttered incoherencies under his breath, stalking back to the motorbike and revving it to life. He shoved his helmet back on, driving off after the cruiser and refusing to think about anything else except how he was going to fend off Kinkade's teasing when he got back.

Mav ignored the lights of the motorbike in his rearview mirror and glanced to the laptop at his side, pressing the papers by his chest a little closer.

Stars sprinkled the sky, splattered across the inky black canvas in a multitude of glittering lights. They caught off the reflection of the cruiser's side shield and he slumped deeper into his jacket, feeling smaller than ever.

 _I'll find you, don't worry._

 _I haven't forgotten about you._

* * *

 **If Mavis seems kinda weird in that last bit, I was trying to do what I imagined someone lowkey about to have a panic attack but not wanting to have a panic attack and instead settling for hysterics would be like. There was a lot of stuff going on in her mind that the weird things brought back up and she has some very mixed feelings about the thoughts on Adam and Shiro and their relationship pre-leaving for the Kerberos mission. I hope to explore that and our eyes on the ground soon!**

 **Voltron is over and I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about the end. I'm not gonna spend too much time talking about it here rn though and I'll go more in depth next author's note so I can just get this out to you guys. I can say though that we're gonna be changing some things and tweaking the occasional thing here and there to bring this story to what I hope will be a solid end when the time comes. But we've got some ways to go before that, so I hope you enjoy!**

 **Writing from earth during these events is something I really wanted to explore so we're gonna try to have some fun with that and Griffin too ;)**

 **Thank you for your eternal patience and love for this story guys, I literally can't thank you enough for putting up with my dirty lies and sporadic update schedules. I really like the episode crystal venom though so imma try to get out the next chapter sooner.**

 **THANK YOU FOR READING AND BEING PATIENT, MWAH.**

 **Marshmellow-**

 **-OUT!**


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